Research Chairs Projects Overview
The Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST) is home to esteemed academic researchers who hold distinguished Chairs in their respective fields. Their pioneering research advances knowledge, drives innovation, and helps shape the frontiers of the CST’s impact.
Four research Chairs are housed at the CST:
The SARChI Chair in Social-Ecological Systems (SES) and Resilience
The SARChI Chair in Social-Ecological Systems (SES) and Resilience is chaired by CST Co-director, Prof Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs. This Chair explores and focusses on advancing the theory and methods related to SES and resilience, analysing and documenting social-ecological regime shifts and tipping points in SES, examining and facilitating sustainability transformations in SES, and supporting the development of regional and global networks for SES, and resilience research and practice.
The UNESCO Co-Chairs in Complex Systems and Transformative African Futures
The UNESCO Co-Chairs in Complex Systems and Transformative African Futures is Co-chaired by CST Prof Rika Preiser and CST Research Fellow, Tanja Hichert, leveraging and integrating their deep knowledge of complex systems with the conceptual and practical applications of futures studies. The Co-chairs focus on building capacity to analyse and explore complex, interdependent socio-ecological systems and their futures, understand systemic change to create conditions for ecologically sustainable and socially just futures. A key initiative under the Chair is the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) project, Disruptors and Enablers of Research for Development: Exploring Futures, which employs strategic foresight tools to help funders better anticipate and navigate the evolving challenges facing research institutions.
The SARChI Chair in Urban Governance
and Energy in Africa
The SARChI Chair in Urban Governance and Energy in Africa conducts cutting-edge research that investigates, develops, and advances new theoretical and evidence-based insights on African cities. Held by Prof Mark Swilling, the Chair leads globally recognised research on sustainable urbanism in the global South, with a strong focus on African cities. The Chair focuses on the transformation of traditional research processes and outputs through strong and effective science communication that goes beyond traditional academic research methods in order to nurture broader public debate.
The AWEI research chair in African Wildlife Economies
Held by CST researcher, Dr Hayley Clements, the AWEI research chair in African Wildlife Economies collaborates with the African Wildlife Economy Institute at Stellenbosch University to develop and implement its strategic research programme, aimed at fostering inclusive, diversified, and thriving wildlife economies across Africa. AWEI envisions transformed and resilient African landscapes through dynamic systems that support biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, inclusive economic opportunities, and human wellbeing. The Chair operates in partnership with Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation.
