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PhD, 2022-2025 Cohort

**Michelle Tatenda Sonono** is a WITS-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab PhD Scholarship recipient at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. He is studying towards a Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Planning at the School of Architecture and Planning (SOAP). Tatenda has an interest in the planning, management, implementation and evaluation of housing and urban development policies that affect the urban poor in the cities of the South. 

He is investigating how Temporary Relocation Areas (TRA) are formed, governed and lived by examining their form, function and experiences that take shape within them to highlight the longstanding policy and implementation challenges of TRAs in South Africa.

**Thesis:** Temporary or permanent? The policy implications of everyday lived experiences in Temporary Relocation Areas (TRAs) in Stjwetla, Johannesburg. 

Michelle Tatenda Sonono

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Principal Investigator (on sabbatical)

**Philipp Misselwitz** is a professor at the Institute for Architecture of the Technische Universität Berlin. He was educated at Cambridge University and the Architectural Association London and received his PhD from Stuttgart University for research on socio-spatial development within urbanised refugee camps.

His current research focuses on user-driven urban development processes and co-production in housing in Europe and the Global South, rural urbanisation processes, translocal spatial production as well as transdisciplinary teaching methodologies in the urban design field. Since 2017, he is Visiting Professor at the School of Architecture and Planning, University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg in South Africa. He is currently managing director of the Bauhaus Earth, an interdisciplinary think-and-do tank working on the transformation of the built environment towards regenerative, circular and resource-efficient buildings and cities using bio-based materials. 





Prof Philipp Misselwitz

Philipp Misselwitz

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Part Time Project Administrator

**Zakiyyah Ayob** joined the Urban Lab Team in 2021. She is based at the School of Architecture and Planning. She previously worked as an Administrator for the South African Research Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Wits University and a Diploma in Project Management. She provides financial and administrative support to the project. 

Zakiyyah Ayob

The Wits-TUB-UniLag Urban Lab is a DAAD funded graduate school promoting cooperative efforts among the University of the Witwatersrand, Technische Universität Berlin and the University of Lagos seeking to contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA) on the African continent

Links

Google Scholar

Linkedin

ORCID

Personal Profile on the UENR website

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Alumni Interviews

**How are you related to Wits-TUB-UniLag Urban Lab?**

I became part of the Wits-TUB Urban Lab Project when I was selected for the DAAD sponsored Postgraduate Scholarship Programme (2017-2021) at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. I graduated on July 18, 2022 with a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning. I am a proud Alumnus of the Wits-TUB (now Wits-TUB-Unilag) Urban Lab. 

**Where and in which field do you currently work? What has been your career path so far?**

I work in the higher education sector in Ghana. I currently work with the University of Energy and Natural Resources as Head of Academic and Students’ Affairs (Administrative position).  After the PhD, I was appointed an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Geography and Sustainability Science in the same University where I teach courses in Planning and Sustainability, and Legal and institutional aspects of planning since January 2023. I also supervise undergraduate student project works in the BSc. Planning and Sustainability Programme. I am also still engaged with research. I am extending the frontiers of my PhD research and currently conducting a study on “Peri-urbanisation and conflicting parties: Reimagining the role of traditional authorities in conflict resolution in peri-urban transformation in Ghana” The project makes a modest contribution to peri-urbanisation literature by examining the role of traditional authorities in conflict resolution. It examines ways to fill a gap in emerging literature about rapid peri-urbanisation and the concomitant conflictual situations among the various actors. 

**How did the fellowship contribute to your career development?**

The fellowship has made a significant impact in my career as I improved on key skills such as:

- Analytical 
- Organised
- Research skills
- Improved writing skills
- Very good communication skills (both written and oral)
- Bold and resilient.

To me, the fellowship period, especially the sweeping uncertainties brought by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 during the writing of the latter chapters of my thesis built my level of resilience. No matter how difficult and uncertain situations were, I was and still would be able to navigate difficult environments. The comments from supervisors (no matter how ‘strong’) they were, taught me never to give up or be discouraged. Overall, the vicissitudes of the PhD journey made me thick skinned (hahaha).  

**What would you recommend to new graduates starting a career in urban development?**

I recommend new graduates starting a career in urban development to see themselves as key actors in building sustainable urban environments. Accordingly, they need to see the “big picture” and join other professionals to develop safe, happy, and sustainable urban spaces. This would require new graduates to learn more, listen more, and consult more in their daily planning functions.

Dr. George Kwadwo Anane

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Insightful Encounters and a Nostalgic Homecoming

# **Author: [Bankolay Theodore Turay](/about/people/Turay) (Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development, University of Lagos)**
My one-month stay at the Department of Development Studies, University of Makeni, Sierra Leone, provided both a homecoming and a valuable opportunity to conduct a pilot study for my PhD research. My research investigates "Women's Access to Land for Sustainable Livelihood: Evaluating the Tenure Conflict in Peri-urban Settlements in Sierra Leone." Collaborating with like-minded academics at the University of Makeni enabled me to refine my data instruments and gather pilot data from communities in Mabolleh and Yainkasa (Bombali district) and Grafton and Tokeh (Western area rural district). Additionally, I was able to access resources on women's land rights from civil society and non-governmental organizations – resources unavailable at my home institution.

**Home coming nostalgia**

Leaving Sierra Leone for an extended period while my family remained was difficult. Seeing my children again after my absence stirred a mix of joy, guilt, and the pressure of having only a short time together. My daughter, 7, and my son, 14, are still in school, and I felt the weight of all I had missed. Balancing my research commitments in distant communities with the longing for my family created a whirlwind of emotions.

I had missed countless moments: family gatherings, my children's birthdays, their games, and even simple bedtime stories. The anxiety of catching up was overwhelming. At first, I struggled to fully embrace either my research or family time. Ultimately, I found a way to bridge the divide by including my children in some of my fieldwork. I explained my research in simple terms, emphasizing the importance of what I do. My daughter's insightful response – "you're fighting for me and other women" – brought me solace. My son, ever the questioner, challenged me with concerns about the work's impact and my future plans. Patiently answering him built both understanding and acceptance. Leaving again wasn't easy, but I departed with newfound joy. My children's understanding and their willingness to participate in my work transformed my experience. Their support turned a difficult situation into a source of strength.

**Beyond homecoming-Pilot study**

My mobility stay was both insightful and engaging, thanks to the incredibly welcoming, resourceful, and receptive communities I encountered. 

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FGD at Yainkasa community (Photo: John Brima Kargbo, SILNOF)

This stay proved invaluable in conducting a pilot study within these communities. The pilot aimed to:  refine my research instruments,  assess the feasibility of a larger study,  evaluate the practicality of my research protocol, check the effectiveness of the sampling frame and technique,  identify potential logistical challenges,  gather preliminary data, and  assess the data analysis methods for any issues.To achieve these goals, I employed a diverse range of data collection techniques, including: semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and gathering biographical data on specific women within the communities. 

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FGD at Mabolleh community (Photo: John Brima Kargbo, SILNOF)

**Lessons learned and best practices**

My stay at the University of Makeni proved invaluable beyond the pilot study. It provided a platform to learn crucial skills for mobilizing communities, particularly when tackling sensitive topics like women's land rights. Furthermore, I established valuable contacts and networks that will significantly aid future data collection. Equally enriching was the exchange with fellow PhD candidates and learning from their research experiences. The stay also offered a unique opportunity to engage with advocates, local NGOs, academic researchers, and community leaders on land rights issues in Sierra Leone. Their practical insights proved invaluable, shaping my understanding of the research topic and generating new findings. This experience instilled invaluable collaboration skills and helped me build a network of partners, including the University of Makeni, Wits-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab, and my research assistants. Their support was instrumental during my stay and continues to benefit my research. I have already integrated the lessons learned by collaborating with NGOs in their communities for my control study.

Researching Women’s Access to Land at the University of Makeni, Sierra Leone

The incorporation of renewable energy in the manufacturing of paper packaging within the city of Ekurhuleni

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**Masters of Urban Studies (Sustainable Energy Efficient Cities), 2019**

**How are you related to Wits-TUB-UniLag Urban Lab?**

I received a scholarship in 2019 to complete a Master’s in Urban Studies specialising in Sustainable Energy and Efficient Cities at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The scholarship also gave me my first opportunity to travel abroad to Berlin and attend a summer school at TUB as part of my master’s program. The summer school was focused mainly on site visits in different neighbourhoods in Berlin to review different housing conditions and their relationship with the city's urban planning structure as well as how other communities are building their own energy electricity mini-grids with alternative renewable energy to achieve their energy security.

**Where and in which field do you currently work? What has been your career path so far?**

I currently work in the sustainable energy and climate change field, particularly focused on campaigning on halting the funding of fossil fuel related projects and advocating for channelling of climate finance to be used efficiently to implement the South African government’s Just Energy Transition Pathway and Investment Plan (JETP - IP). My career path and objective is mainly focused on expanding South Africa’s transmission and distribution electricity network to efficiently integrate more renewable energy technology and resources within the grid network to alleviate energy poverty and mitigate accelerating climate change to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 to achieve universal energy access within South Africa and within the African continent whilst also achieving social and economic justice to bring an end to extreme forms of poverty.

**How did the fellowship contribute to your career development?**

The scholarship contributed immensely in advancing my educational knowledge in energy efficiency within buildings and cities and the importance of understanding urban politics and planning in integrating climate adaptation and mitigation strategies to achieve climate resilience within cities such as introducing solar mini grids and stand-alone renewable energy generation plants within municipalities to feed into municipal distribution networks which has assisted me in contributing effectively professionally in any project I am working on. 

I also learnt valuable technical skills in retrofitting buildings to become energy efficient in my energy efficiency in buildings module course taught by the late Dr Chungu which helped me learn that Green-House-Gas (GHG) emissions, even though energy systems that rely heavily from generating electricity from fossil fuels emit the most GHG emissions, various factors within an urban centres such as buildings can also contribute to accelerating global warming.

**Do you have any recommendations for graduates of the MUS starting their career?**

Yes. urban centre’s within countries host local municipalities that have the implementation mandate of all policies formed by national governments. Urban development is necessary especially to achieve sustainable environmental and economic development in that local municipalities can implement projects within policy conditions for long term benefits to achieve social, energy and climate justice. Starting a career in urban development will help new graduates do that and make South Africa a better place for all who live in it.

**Thesis:** The incorporation of renewable energy in the manufacturing of paper packaging within the city of Ekurhuleni

Khabonina Masango

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**How are you related to Wits-TUB-UniLag Urban Lab?**

I am an alumnus of the Wits-TUB-UniLag project and the School of Architecture and Planning, Wits University. I am part of the first PhD Cohort of the project. At our time it was called the Wits-TUB Urban Lab project. I think it is when I was concluding my PhD that the University of Lagos was annexed to the project’s name. 

**Where and in which field do you currently work? What has been your career path so far?**

Currently, I am in an academic position. I am Lecturer at the Department of Local Governance and City Management, Faculty of Public Policy and Governance, at the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (often abbreviated as The SDD-UBIDS), Wa in the Upper West Region of Ghana. I was appointed as Assistant Lecturer in November, 2020 when I was wrapping up with my PhD work. In April, 2022, I was promoted to the current rank of Lecturer (with PhD) in the same Department after successfully graduating in December 2021. 

**What topics are you focusing on?**

My research interest is in land tenure and urban management. I have been working on topics related to these including multiple land sales on peri-urban areas, the interface between land tenure and informal settlement planning, urban green space management specifically urban trees, and urban road safety.

**How did the fellowship contribute to your career development?**

The Wits-TUB-UniLag fellowship has played a life-changing role in my personal and career development. All in all, the scholarship to undergo PhD training is all important to me given the financial background of my family. The Summer schools gave me a great deal of exposure and the opportunity to experience real-life urban challenges and approaches to managing them in Berlin and Johannesburg. The visiting scholars bit enabled me to know the experiences of a PhD journey and to tap from their academic knowledge and experiences enabling me to finish my PhD early. At Wits, the Lunch-Box seminars, Graduate Seminars, PhD Symposia, Faces of the City Seminar, and the GOLD seminars were particularly important platforms for knowledge sharing that enriched my presentation, critical thinking, writing, qualitative data analysis, and other academic skills. A great supervisory team also sharpened my understanding and the essentials of academic research. 

**What would you recommend to new graduates starting a career in urban development?**

I will like to respondent to this respect to academic career only because of my career path. It is imperative for graduates starting an academic career in Urban Development, to in the onset, choose a clear line of research among the numerous urban challenges, deeply immense in the key literature and the state-of-the-art in the chosen research path in order to offer relevant contribution to knowledge in the chosen area. This, I believe, will enable career development and growth. Also graduates need to choose the relevant academic department related to urban development from the onset so as to utilise their knowledge and skills acquired from their training in the Urban Lab. 


Dr. Dennis Kamaanaa Sumbo

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WELCOME TO THE WITS-TUB-UNILAG URBAN LAB‘- The WITS-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab is one of the DAAD Bilateral SDG Graduate Schools that provide infrastructure for cooperative efforts among German higher education institutions and their international counterparts. Find the latest project news and information on our activities, bursaries, the team and further resources on this website.

Welcome to the Wits-Tub-Unilag Urban Lab

WEBINAR ORGANISED BY THE WITS-TUB-UNILAG URBAN LAB -July 27, 11:00 am (WAT)

On July 19 UNILAG's Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development will host a webinar on "Evaluating SDG Operationalization in Africa" as part of the Wits-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab's acitivities. With contributions by Prof Shuaib Lwasa (ISS, The Hague) and Dr Omoayena Odumbaku (UN-Habitat Regional Office for Africa) the webinar will address questions around the state of SDG related urban research in Africa, policies concerned with SDG implementation across the continent and the involvment of communities and local actors in implementation processes. [Please register here for the webinar](https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuf-qsrjkiHNEonVEC_Z_98YOfspHHj10S#/registration).

WEBINAR ON EVALUATING SDG OPERATIONALIZATION IN AFRICA

The call for scholarships for the 2-year part-time masters programme in Urban Management at the University of Lagos is open now. Due date to apply for the scholarship is **July 21 2024**. Please find more details regarding the programme, the admission requirements and the eligibility on the website of UNILAG's Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development: [https://chsd.unilag.edu.ng/wit/](https://chsd.unilag.edu.ng/wit/)


Funding opportunities for the Masters in Urban Management at UNILAG 

The call for scholarships for the one-year full-time masters programme in Urban Studies in the field of Urban Management at the Wits University's School of Architecture and Planning is now open. The current call is open for applicants that are nationals of Sub-Saharan African countries other than South Africa. A call for South African nationals will be issued at a later point in time. Due date to apply for the scholarship is **September 30 2024**. The due date to apply for admission into the MUS (UM) is **July 31 2024**.Please find more details regarding the programme, the admission requirements and the eligibility on the website of the School of Architecture and Planning: [https://www.wits.ac.za/soap/bursaries-and-awards/](https://www.wits.ac.za/soap/bursaries-and-awards/)


Funding opportunities for the Masters of Urban Studies in the Field of Urban Management at Wits University

## [Call for Urban Management Scholarships at UNILAG is open now](https://www.urban-sdg-school.org/for-students/scholarships)

## [CALL FOR URBAN MANAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS AT WITS UNIVERSITY IS OPEN NOW](https://www.urban-sdg-school.org/for-students/scholarships)

Resources

Publications

Here you can find information on publications by the members of the Wits-UniLag Urban Lab team as well as publications that resulted from work and studies funded by the project.

Event Materials

The Wits-TUB-UniLag Urban Lab regularly hosts events such as summer schools, talks and webinars that provide training for early career researchers and present research on sustainable urbanism by the team and collaborators from across the African continent and beyond. Here you can find recordings of talks, additional materials provided by the speakers and documentations of events.

Quick Links

African Urbanisms Conference

The conference will take place from October 23 to October 26 at Wits University. The call for papers is open until April 21 2024. 

Scholarships

The project offers a limited number of scholarships for the Urban Management programmes at UniLag and at Wits each year. Furthermore, there will be more scholarship opportunities for postdoctoral researchers and PhD students. All information on scholarships and current calls will be published here.

Study programmes

Find out more on the project's postgraduate study programmes at Wits University and the University of Lagos.

Welcome to the Wits-Tub-Unilag Urban Lab

Call for Urban Management Scholarships at UNILAG is open now

CALL FOR URBAN MANAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS AT WITS UNIVERSITY IS OPEN NOW

News

WEBINAR ON EVALUATING SDG OPERATIONALIZATION IN AFRICA

Funding opportunities for the Masters in Urban Management at UNILAG

Funding opportunities for the Masters of Urban Studies in the Field of Urban Management at Wits University

All announcements

Quick Links

African Urbanisms Conference

Scholarships

Study programmes

Blog

Dr. George Kwadwo Anane

Researching Women’s Access to Land at the University of Makeni, Sierra Leone

Khabonina Masango

Dr. Dennis Kamaanaa Sumbo

About

Meet the team

Partners

Resources

Publications

Event Materials

Links

Social Media

Legal

Contact

Partners

Supported by

Welcome to the Wits-Tub-Unilag Urban Lab

.css-185o5ba{text-decoration-line:underline;}Call for Urban Management Scholarships at UNILAG is open now

CALL FOR URBAN MANAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS AT WITS UNIVERSITY IS OPEN NOW

News

WEBINAR ON EVALUATING SDG OPERATIONALIZATION IN AFRICA

Funding opportunities for the Masters in Urban Management at UNILAG

Funding opportunities for the Masters of Urban Studies in the Field of Urban Management at Wits University

All announcements

Quick Links

African Urbanisms Conference

Scholarships

Study programmes

Blog

Dr. George Kwadwo Anane

Researching Women’s Access to Land at the University of Makeni, Sierra Leone

Khabonina Masango

Dr. Dennis Kamaanaa Sumbo

About

Meet the team

Partners

Resources

Publications

Event Materials

Links

Social Media

Legal

Contact

Partners

Supported by

Call for Urban Management Scholarships at UNILAG is open now