Bish Sanyal is a Ford International Professor of Urban Development and Planning and Director of the Special Program in Urban and Regional Studies (SPURS)/ Humphrey Fellows Program at MIT.

Professor Sanyal joined MIT in 1984, served as the Head of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning from 1994 to 2002 and was the Chair of the Faculty at MIT from 2007 to 2009. Professor Sanyal’s research, publication and leadership experience reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of the field of Urban Planning. With degrees in Architecture and City Planning, and a strong interest in the interconnection between the developing world and the United States, Sanyal has long held an interest in international planning education.