SDGs GoGlocal! Translocal and transdisciplinary teaching and research to ground the SDGs through integrated urban development

Summary

SDGs GoGlocal! Translocal and transdisciplinary teaching and research to ground the SDGs through integrated urban development project aims to establish a strong and innovative translocal - South-South and South-North - academic network with emphasis on sustainable urbanisation and to help enhancing the quality of education and research at The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) with local academic and non-academic partners. This aim will be achieved through strengthening integrated and transdisciplinary approaches for research and teaching future urban change makers how to localise and ground the SDGs meaningfully in urban planning and development practice, particularly as part of for informal settlements upgrading processes. And further addresses the need for co-production of knowledge that incorporates the ability to work in a multiactor environment, expanding on fledgling co-productive practices in Namibia.

‘SDGs GoGlocal’ will do this through a 3-pillar approach (outcomes): Pillar 1 (education) will focus on developing and testing a relevant curriculum in integrated urban development at Master level at NUST incorporating the localisation of SDGs in the context of (peri-)urban Namibia and creating exchange in exchange through staff and student mobility with the MSc Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design (IUSD) double-degree at the University of Stuttgart (USTUTT), Germany and Ain Shams University (ASU), Egypt.

Pillar 2 (research) is centred on establishing a SDGs GoGlocal Mastertheses Research Group. Research findings and knowledge on the localisation of SDGs will be co-produced together with non-academic actors particular with the Namibia Housing Action Group (NHAG), and the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN), and various Namibian local authorities.

Pillar 3 consists of a SDGs GoGlocal Action Learning Hub (third mission in higher education). The NUST department of Architecture, Planning and Construction, will strengthen and expand established methods for realising community engagement with local communities and relevant stakeholders (third mission).

SDGs GoGlocal thereby builds upon the expertise of the existing IUSD at USTUTT and ASU. IUSD has a unique teaching philosophy: it addresses global urban challenges by combining a transdisciplinary and an intercultural approach with working in real-time local settings.

SDGs GoGlocal follows two crosscutting approaches: the main approach is to facilitate shared learning experiences on “eye-to-eye-level” triangular between Namibia, Egypt and Germany. Moreover, SDGs GoGlocal aims to bring academia, civil society and government representatives to foster co-production of knowledge

Achievements

List of Publications from the Project

Partners

• University of Stuttgart

Project Members

Project Leaders

• Engy Samir Helmy Zaky