The Africa Urban Lab (AUL) and the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) have announced their formal collaboration to support capacity building in urban governance across Africa, facilitate knowledge exchange, and build a “community of practice” focused on urban issues.
AUL is a new research center under the African School of Economics campus in Zanzibar (ASE-Z). The Lab is dedicated to training the African city builders, planners, and urban leaders of tomorrow to harness rapid urbanization for human prosperity. The AUL will also examine innovative approaches to urban governance which can more effectively grapple with Africa’s massive urban expansion over the coming decades.
UCLG Africa is an umbrella organization representing 54 national and regional associations of local and regional governments (LRGs) from all regions of Africa, as well as 2000 cities, with a mission to support and empower LRGs as a distinct sphere of government working in support of national and other spheres of government in Africa, and to build capacity through research, training and partnerships.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AUL and UCLG Africa signifies a formal and substantive partnership to support the ASE-Z campus’s growth through the establishment of the new research center, with emphasis on urban governance. The collaborative work between the two institutions will help ensure that urban leaders are well-prepared to harness the ballooning growth of African cities to bring about the benefits of density (economic opportunity and growth) rather than the downsides (crime, congestion, and contagious disease, among others).
Key aspects of this partnership include:
Facilitate knowledge exchange via conferences, seminars, co-hosted events, and/or workshops—both online and in-person.
Enhance access to capacity-building, education, and internship/capstone opportunities for African professionals and municipal officials to support their technical development.
Collaborate on joint research projects, academic programs, and initiatives aimed at fostering leadership development.
Establish a "community of practice" to encourage knowledge sharing, best practices, and networking opportunities for students, graduates, and other urban professionals.
This partnership represents a commitment from AUL and UCLG Africa to foster frontier urban education, effective urban planning, and growth-enhancing urban development in Zanzibar, East Africa, and beyond. By bringing together resources, expertise, and a shared vision, the AUL is poised to become a leading center for urban development research and education in Africa.
About Africa Urban Lab (AUL):
The Africa Urban Lab at the African School of Economics aims to train the African city builders, planners, and city leaders of tomorrow to harness rapid urbanization for human prosperity. The AUL will support cutting-edge research on urban issues, provide world-class education in urban studies, and promote applied knowledge through practical learning experiences in real-world settings.
About the Africa School of Economics (ASE):
Since its inception in 2014, ASE has grown into a Pan-African institute of higher learning, renowned for quality research and education, aiming to produce the next generation of scholars, policymakers, and entrepreneurs in Africa.
https://www.africanschoolofeconomics.com/
About United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa):
UCLG Africa is the umbrella organization and the united voice and representative of local governments in Africa. Established as the African section of the world organization UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments), UCLG Africa now boasts a membership of 44 national associations of local governments and 2000 cities, representing nearly 350 million African citizens. The vision of UCLG Africa is “Building African Unity and Driving African Development through the Grassroots.”
For more information about this collaboration, the AUL, or other inquiries, please contact Heba Elhanafy ([email protected]).