African Centre for Cities (ACC)
ACC is an interdisciplinary hub at the University of Cape Town with a mandate to conduct meaningful research on how to understand, recast and address pressing urban crises. Since most urban challenges—for example, food security, climate change adaptation, economic inclusion, cultural vitality and tolerance—are inherently interdisciplinary and spatially layered, ACC nurtures the co-production of knowledge between academia and other social sectors. Furthermore, research gets designed with multiple publics in mind and a concern with continuously enriching curriculum and postgraduate development.
Department of Regional & Urban Studies and Planning (DIST)
The Inter-university Department of Regional & Urban Studies and Planning (DIST) is the reference structure for the Politecnico di Torino and the University of Turin in the cultural areas that study the transformation and the governance processes within a territory, as considered in its physical, economic, social, political, cultural aspects and their interrelationships, in a integrated sustainability perspective.
The DIST promotes, coordinates and manages research, teaching and third mission activities aimed at the educating the change agents of tomorrows’ challenges for a sustainable management of our territories.
UTA-Do
UTA-Do is a yearly critical urban studies ‘summer school’ that aims to contribute to making African urban scholarship and imagination more inclusive, and primarily through working to democratise access to the resources required to shape and produce information about African cities. UTA-Do brings together emerging scholars, artists, and activists around the shared project of thinking and doing the urban.The core of the program is a one week annual workshop with between 30 and 40 participants. The workshop program includes deep theoretical debates, writing exercises, career mentorship, field trips, and corporeal arts immersions – underpinned by a recognition of the multifaceted nature of the urban theory making project. These closed spaces are supplemented with public events which home in on more specific themes related to contemporary African urban issues. The events reinforce each other, creating a rich ecosystem of debate, care, and visibility.
Volkswagen Foundation
The Volkswagen Foundation is Germany’s largest private, non-profit organization engaged in the promotion and support of academic research. Even though its name might suggest otherwise, it is not a corporate foundation and not affiliated to the Volkswagen automobile manufacturer.