SUEUAA (Strengthening Urban Engagement in Universities in Asia and Africa) - two new Working Papers

The SUEUAA (Strengthening Urban Engagement in Universities in Asia and Africa) project funded by the British Academy looks at the role of the University in developing sustainable solutions to issues in six cities across six different countries: Harare (Zimbabwe), Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania), Johannesburg (South Africa), Manilla (Philippines), Duhok (Iraq), and Sanandaj (Iran).

In a series of working papers, the SUEUAA team focuses on overarching themes (environment, policy, gender, migration, and the economy), and show the similarities and differences across the different study cities in terms of the capacity of the University to respond to these city-wide issues. 

Each working paper is a collaborative process, and is co-authored by academics in at least three cities.

The first paper is co-authored by Neil Burnside (University of Glasgow), Nickey Janse van Rensberg (University of Johannesburg), Heriel Moshi (University of Dar-es-Salaam), Kamal Ketuly and Sizar Abid Mohammad (University of Duhok), Nematollah Azizi (University of Kurdistan), and Felipe Ronald Argamosa (Technological University of the Philippines). 

Title: Impact of University engagement on environmental resilience of urban spaces in Asia and Africa

Abstract: By 2030 most of the globes inhabitants will be living with cities. It is therefore important that cities are resilient to sustenance and energy challenge in the face of increasing demands from population expansion and increasing environmental variability and uncertainty brought about by intensifying climate change. The Strengthening Urban Engagement of Universities in Asia and Africa (SUEUAA) project aims to enhance university engagement capacity in this context and optimise engagement strategy to maximise impact in urban areas. We use the term ‘environmental resilience’ to encapsulate both energy and sustenance challenges. We believe these must be tackled in a holistic manner as there are intimate links between the production and usage of energy, food and water and consequent generation and disposal of waste. This paper focuses on the experiences and vision of SUEUAA partners in Johannesburg (South Africa), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Duhok (Iraq), Sanandaj (Iran), and Manila (Philippines), so it encapsulates views and solutions for engagement strategies on several environmental challenges facing cities in very different climatic situations.  

The second paper  is co-authored by Lavinia Hirsu (University of Glasgow), Zenaida Reyes (Philippine Normal University), Kamal Aziz Ketuly and Sizar Abid Mohammad (University of Duhok), Nematollah Azizi (University of Kurdistan) and Mpoki Mwaikokeysa (University of Dar-es-Salaam). 

Title: Anchoring universities into (un)expected realities: the engagement role of universities in Asia and Africa 

Abstract: To respond effectively to (un)expected realities (effects of climate change, environmental degradation, war and migration, accelerated urbanization), universities in Asia and Africa are called upon to accomplish their third mission by getting more involved in local municipalities and addressing city-level challenges. However, universities are not always prepared for this third mission, and policies reveal different levels of preparedness. Through a thematic rhetorical analysis of a wide range of policies, this paper argues that university policy discourses build on different, and oftentimes competing, approaches to university engagement. A detailed analysis of policies in six cities (Dar es Salaam, Duhok, Harare, Johanesburgh, Manila, and Sanandaj) reveals how HEIs align with (un)expected social realities and work with local municipalities. While university-city partnerships exist in all six contexts, policies oftentimes remain broad in scope and provide little guidance to support resilience and appropriate local sustainable plans. Building on the experience accumulated by various stakeholders in the six cities, the paper makes a series of recommendations for policy change which has implications for a growing number of HEIs and city stakeholders confronted with similar challenges in their respective locales. 

The SUEUAA project (Reference CI170271) is funded by the British Academy under the Cities and Infrastructure programme, which is part of the Global Challenges Research Fund, itself part of the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment.

The work of SUEUAA was inspired by previous PASCAL activities within its PURE project.