WITS-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab

Building Urban Capacity for Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Partnership

The Wits-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab Programme is built on a partnership agreement between three leading universities across three continents:

Wits

University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

TUB

Technische Universität Berlin, Germany

UNILAG

University of Lagos, Nigeria

About the Programme

This collaboration seeks to contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2015 and the New Urban Agenda (NUA) of 2016 on the sub-Saharan African continent. The programme emphasizes integrated approaches to urban planning and management as a central element of an "Urban Paradigm Shift."

Core Focus

Postgraduate SDG School enhancing training in the School of Architecture and Planning in close collaboration with partner institutions.

Key Principle

Eye-level exchange and equal participation across all three academic partner institutions based on the principle of mutual respect and shared ownership.

Academic Programmes

Master of Urban Studies

Urban Management specialization at Wits, with participation from scholars across the sub-continent.

PhD Studies

Advanced research opportunities at both Wits and UNILAG for doctoral scholars.

New Masters at UNILAG

New Masters degree in Urban Management introduced in 2021 with bursary support.

Phase 2 Activities (2021-2025)

  • Project Coordination - Eye-level exchange and equal participation among partner institutions
  • Digital Innovation - Exploring new digital methods and tools for collaborative teaching and research
  • Interdisciplinary Education - Strengthening inter- and transdisciplinary postgraduate education in Urban Management
  • PhD Training - Embedding structured collaborative postgraduate capacity building programmes
  • Mentoring & Capacity Building - Supporting academic career development
  • Knowledge Building - Building inter- and transdisciplinary knowledge around resilience, urban justice, and solidarity
  • Network Strengthening - Bridging research, policy, and practice across institutions

Funding & Timeline

Phase 1: 2016-2020

Initial programme funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Phase 2: 2021-2025

Extended funding approved, focusing on digital innovation, PhD training, and network strengthening across partner institutions.