Selected from more than one hundred applications, just 26 talented students were invited to join the three-day program. Under the theme Blue-Green Cities, the participants were challenged to develop their vision on the resilient and sustainable development of Semarang, focusing on the historic centre of Kota Lama and the Port area. A so-called Design Charrette approach was followed that encouraged participants to approach the cases from an integrated and multidisciplinary perspective and use drawing as their main form of expression.

The program featured lectures by local experts, site visits, workshops, team assignments, presentations and skills training. A team of 10 experts from the Netherlands and Indonesia supported the program, sharing their knowledge and experience with the aspiring city leaders.