The 2011 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship has been awarded to Sahil Bipin Deshpande - the second student from Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai, to win the prize in the history of the scholarship. His proposal - Sanitation: a case study across eight metropolises - will take him to Delhi, Shanghai, Beijing, Oslo, Paris, Belfast, Kumasi and Johannesburg, where he plans to develop a sustainable manifesto for sanitation with applications for Mumbai.

A total of 39 RIBA-accredited schools put forward candidates - a record number of applications to the scheme since its inception in 2006. The jury was led by Lord Foster, and included:

• Ruth Reed, RIBA President
• Rowan Moore, writer and critic
• Spencer de Grey, Head of Design at Foster + Partners
• Stephen Hodder, Chairman of Hodder + Partners
• Roger Risdill Smith, a senior partner at Foster + Partners.

The jury also highly commended a proposal by Stuart Taylor of Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand - Post-Earthquake Reconstruction in the Pacific Rim.

Lord Foster said:

'To achieve a sustainable urban environment, the approach must be integrated, embracing buildings, transport, as well as infrastructure. Sanitation is part of the metabolism of a city - it is as vital to plan waste removal, as it is energy or water supply. The proposal aims to tackle a reluctance to deal with the issue of sanitation through what I am sure will be a fascinating and informative study. We wish both Sahil and Stuart the best of luck.'

Ruth Reed, RIBA President said:

'The RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship is a wonderful opportunity for students to engage with architecture within a global context. I warmly congratulate Sahil Bipin Deshpande who produced this year's winning project. This year's prize has been awarded to a very deserving proposal that engages with a fundamentally important issue for all cities. I look forward to hearing about his travels and progress on this inspiring project which will have considerable benefits to his home city of Mumbai.'