is an education, advisory and research institute which falls under the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences and the Erasmus School of Economics. For 60 years, it has been the mission of IHS to develop human and institutional capacities, to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in cities. The network of IHS-alumni includes over 9000 active urban experts all over the world, ranging from architects, social scientists, economists, to public administration workers, civil servants, and government officials.