Who We Are

The Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST)

The Stellenbosch Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST) is a Stellenbosch University ‘flagship’ initiative established in 2015.

This initiative brings together complexity thinking, sustainability science and transdisciplinary research methodology.

Research at the CST is largely conducted in collaborative inter- and transdisciplinary teams that draw in expertise from different disciplines as well as from policy, practice and local stakeholders. Much of the research is funded by external project grants, and students are part of the larger project teams which provides additional opportunities for learning and research support.

CST has the following cross-cutting research themes:

These cross-cutting themes are applied to the following empirical research fields:

Food Systems
Water Systems
Energy Systems
Urban Systems

The centre is funded in part by Stellenbosch University, and in part by the National Research Foundation, plus project funding from a range of sources. The CST is located at the STIAS Wallenberg Centre in the Old Stables. Please find our contact details here.

If you are interested in pursuing your Master’s, PhD or Post Doctoral research through the CST please click here to read about further study opportunities. CST has its own research commons where staff and students can collaborate and interact. The access-controlled facilities at The Stables include staff offices, the research commons, a boardroom and lounge area. It is equipped with workstations, a boardroom for meetings and a lounge area for discussion and relaxation with a mini in-house library. The main aim of the CST Research Commons is to enhance the CST’s contribution to postgraduate through-put and research output by providing a conducive environment for researchers, which directly support research endeavours of postgraduate students and researchers.