WRI Africa’s Post

🌍 As part of Erasmus University Rotterdam’s Vital Cities and Citizens initiative, the Nairobi Urban Hub is dedicated to improving urban living conditions and tackling key challenges in Mathare, one of Nairobi's largest #informal #settlements. 💡 Jan Fransen, Lead Specialist in Urban Economic Development and Resilience, conducts research alongside local researchers and the International Centre for Frugal Innovation. Their work helps residents in informal settlements anticipate and adapt to #challenges using frugal innovation. By exploring creative and cost-effective solutions to urban issues, their work #empowers communities to build #resilience and transform their environments even in the face of #adversity. 🤝 Collaborating with organisations like the Ghetto Foundation and Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research, the project applies inclusive methodologies such as community #workshops and #storytelling. These approaches ensure that local knowledge drives practical, #sustainable change. By integrating community expertise, this initiative aims for long-term social #transformation and resilience in vulnerable urban areas. Find out more about the Nairobi Urban Hub via the link below.👇 https://lnkd.in/dk8-vvYB

Returning to our mini series introducing the dedicated people who work at our global hubs, driving forward the initiatives of UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition. We’re a dynamic, motivated group of individuals who are passionate about what we do. Meet our highly regarded Hub staff based at the BRIDGES Southern African Hub at the University of Pretoria Prof. James Ogude Director of the BRIDGES Southern African Hub based at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, at the University of Pretoria, of which he has also been the Director since 2017. Tafadzwa Mushonga Deputy Director of UNESCO Bridges Hub at the University of Pretoria and Environmental Humanities Co-ordinator at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship. Melanie Jean Murcott Assosciate Professor, Department of Public Law, University of Cape Town, collaborating with the University of Pretoria and a research affiliate in the Southern African Hub of BRIDGES. Our global hubs are at the core of our efforts, serving as key drivers of collaboration and impact. The BRIDGES Hub at University of Pretoria seeks to build on the global efforts of the coalition to strengthen the reach and impact of humanities, arts and social science-led sustainability science in partnership with non-academic communities of knowledge in Southern Africa and internationally, through strategic cooperation with other BRIDGES hubs, member organizations and international partners. https://lnkd.in/epH6QQH2 UNESCO #BRIDGESCoalition #communitiesofknowledge #humanitiesled #cooperation #humanities #arts #socialscience #sustainabilityscience #transdisciplinary #research #communitybasedknowledge

NELSON MANDELA UNIVERSITY INAUGURAL LECTURE SERIES OF 2024 ............................................................. "While housing is not only about houses, human settlements are much more than housing." ........................................................... Join the Lecture in person or online. For in-person attendance make sure that you RSVP rias@mandela.ac.za on or before 9 October 2024. For South Africa, October is a Human Settlements month. It is thus appropriate that we take a pause, engage on a brief reflection examining the complex issue of human hettlements, and gravitate towards 'the site where the calf has died.' For without telling what human settlements is or is not, we risk providing solutions, to pressing urban challenges, that instead create more or amplify existing problems. Knowing the real problem is one positive step towards finding a sustainable solution. There may not be one solution, as the elephant is no longer one in the room, but many. Please Disturb Us! Institute of Human Settlement Practitioners South Africa (IHSP-SA) The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) Chartered Institute of Housing Canada (CIH Canada) CIB, International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) SACPLAN SACPLAN SACAP SACAPSA World Health Organization South African Council for Project & Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) Engineering Council of South Africa South African Housing and Infrastructure Fund Nelson Mandela University University of Johannesburg Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology - Nelson Mandela University University of the Witwatersrand University of Fort Hare Mangosuthu University of Technology Durban University of Technology Bowie State University City of Cape Town eThekwini Municipality Morgan State University University of Potsdam Hochschule Wismar University of Sydney Makerere University University of the Free State University of KwaZulu-Natal WSU - Walter Sisulu University University of Zululand University of Mpumalanga

Last minute call for submission. Deadline today! Final call for submissions for the panel "Reimaging African Cities: Promoting Urban Justice by Integrating African Identities and Cultures into the Institutional Transformation of Housing and Land." This panel leverages ongoing PhD research on Sustainable Urbanisation in Africa to explore how African cities can prioritize urban justice. Our Focus: * Integration: We seek papers examining how to integrate African identities and cultural values into housing and land use institutions. * Actionable Solutions: We're interested in practical approaches that prioritize urban justice within these frameworks. * Diverse Voices: We encourage submissions based on empirical research, innovative theory, or practical experiences that build knowledge on achievable transformative practices across Africa. Expanding the Conversation: This panel aims to spark dialogue on the complex interplay between: * Local identities * Cultural expressions * Institutional frameworks Specifically, we ask: * How can African cities leverage these elements in housing and land use to advance urban justice and sustainable development? Your Contribution: We invite submissions that engage with this question and contribute to a richer understanding of urban justice and sustainable urbanisation in Africa. Please find more on the panel as well as abstract submission guidelines at  https://lnkd.in/dN9pzPEg.  The call closes on 21 April 2024.  Convenors: Joy Obadoba (University of Lagos), joycebenet@gmail.com  Bankolay Turay (University of Lagos), bankolay@gmail.com  Siyum Jeldu (University of the Witwatersrand), 2642203@students.wits.ac.za   Discussant: Prof. Alexander Jachnow (Namibia University of Science and Technology) alexander.jachnow@gmail.com

🌐 Inspiring Morning Reflections 🌅 This morning, amidst battling a flu that could almost rival the grandeur of the COVID-19, I tuned in to hear the newly appointed Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, Prof. Patrick Verkooijen, unveil his ambitious plans for making our beloved institution the best university in Africa. Despite my ailment, I couldn't help but be captivated by Prof. Verkooijen's passion and visionary outlook for the university's future. What truly stood out, especially in the face of dwindling resources, was his ingenious approach – a philosophy that could resonate across every sector. Rather than squabble over the current small slice of the cake, Prof. Verkooijen advocates for expanding the cake itself. A mindset shift that transcends the university walls and holds relevance for all of us. As engineers, Prof. Verkooijen's words ring particularly true. Our focus should extend beyond boundaries, aiming to secure a coveted spot in the Washington Accord. By doing so, we ensure that our skills are not just locally recognized but globally sought after. Let's embrace this forward-thinking perspective and work collectively towards enlarging our professional "cake" on the global stage! 🌐🌍 Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) The Institution of Engineers of Kenya #EngineeringExcellence #GlobalSkills #VisionaryLeadership #UniversityOfNairobi #EngineersUnite

For Frank Cairo (BES ’05) investing in new approaches to planning and building cities isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity. “We're facing complex challenges. From the rising cost of housing to aging infrastructure and environmental impact. We need new thinking, across a variety of disciplines to tackle these problems through innovation and the scientific method.” While the need for expertise and applied tools has never been higher, Frank, along with Troy van Haastrecht (BASc ’93) — co-founders and chief executive officers of The Caivan Group — believe the approach to building future cities must be thoughtful, purposeful and data-driven. It’s why they’re investing $10 million to launch the Future Cities Institute founded by Caivan Communities at the University of Waterloo. It’s the first interdisciplinary, donor-funded organization of its kind at the University. Read more about the Future Cities Institute founded by @CAIVAN and their motivations for making the investment here: https://bit.ly/3VPdtOI #UWaterloo #UWaterlooalumni University of Waterloo University of Waterloo Faculty of Environment

This weeks' focus, Collaborations and Partnerships Passionate projects: Qhakaza Africa Consulting - Architecture and Property Development Solutions stablished in 2004 Forum for African Built Environment Professionals - Leadership and sector collaborations established in 2020 Student Focus - Amplifying the need for Higher Education and psychosocial support to students and unemployed graduates established in 2024

🌍 Exploring Transformative #CityRegional #Urban #Political #Economic #Policy through #ActionResearch in #Bilbao #Biscay #BasqueAutonomousCommunity #BasqueCountry #MLG #EuskalHiria 🌱 During these couple of weeks, Dr. Matthew Thompson, Dr. David Beel, and I will be meeting up with #scholars and #policymakers in #Bilbao. Actually, this week, we will be commencing by undertaking #ActionResearch #fieldwork through in-depth #interviews in #Bilbao on the governance of transformative urban-economic policy-making across different #European #cityregions. Funded by the #UK's national agency for economic and social science, the ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council, and coordinated by the WISERD Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data, this #actionresearch comparative project aims to understand how different #cityregions are innovating new pioneering forms of sustainable urban development towards data-driven societal challenges. Our #actionresearch explores alternative approaches such as #foundationaleconomy #socialinnovation #cooperativism #datacooperatives #platformcooperatives #urbancommons #circulareconomies #doughnuteconomics. Part of the project is to explore connections between the #Welsh and the #Basque contexts, not least in terms of political and economic devolution. As such, this #fieldwork #actionresearch stems too from the Learned Society of Wales research grant I achieved to strengthten the bridges between #Wales and the #BasqueCountry entitled 'How Do #SmallNations Cooperate? An Action Research Framework for #Wales and the #BasqueCountry' that I published in the #OpenAccess journal #RegionalStudiesRegionalScience as follows: https://lnkd.in/d4T9PeBt via Regional Studies Association RSA Europe. This research is led by Dr. Matt Thompson, Dr. David Beel, Prof. Ian Rees Jones, Prof. Kevin Morgan, Prof. Martin Jones and me, all of us affiliated with #WISERD as research fellows. #ThankYou #Eskerrikasko #Diolch #Gracias #institutions / #interviewees agreeing directly/indirectly to take part in this project. Bilbao Metropoli 30 Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea Ikerbasque BizkaiaTech Bilbao ASFabrik Mondragon Unibertsitatea MONDRAGON Corporation Talaios Kooperatiba INNOLAB Bilbao University of Deusto Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness Eusko Ikaskuntza Sociedad de Estudios Vascos Agirre Lehendakaria Center Xabier Gainza Luis Berasategi Ekhi Atutxa Idoia Postigo Fuentes Cristina Múgica Jesús M. Valdaliso et al.

For sustainability of Research and Innovation, Kenya has to walk the talk of elevating PhD training to a national agenda. Universities provide professionals for the economy, however, for continuity, it is imperative they always remember to feed themselves. The academia must get worried of the succession gap, who will the aging scholars pass the batton to. The graduation numbers of PhD students are quite low, majority of whom may not be interested in academia. something must give! Conversations taking place in the #4thBiennialConference