UKZN/eThekwini Municipality Project Wins International Award for Transdisciplinary Research
The Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities (EPIC)-Durban project – a partnership between UKZN’s School of Built Environment and Development Studies (SoBEDS) and eThekwini Municipality – has won a global award for transdisciplinary research.
This project was selected as the EPIC-N global network’s Partnership of the Year.
Through the EPIC-Durban Project, students undertake research on topics that address pressing municipal and community challenges.
This project, led by Professor Catherine Sutherland and UKZN EPIC coordinator in SoBEDS, Mr Nkosinathi Mncwabe, is supported by Dr Sean O’Donoghue and Mr Smiso Bhengu of the Climate Change Adaptation Branch at eThekwini Municipality.
The EPIC-Durban project falls under the Durban Research Action Partnership (DRAP), which is a long-standing research union focused on global environmental change between UKZN and eThekwini Municipality.
Piloted in 2017, as part of the first three projects in the EPIC Africa network, the EPIC Durban project has yielded significant outcomes, including the planning and development of safe walkways along flood-damaged high-speed roads, food gardens, composting, community-based waste management systems, tree planting initiatives, the social acceptability of innovative sanitation systems and disaster response plans in informal settlements and peri-urban areas.
The EPIC Africa network now has 12 active city-university partnerships across Africa, having been co-chaired by O’Donoghue since its inception. To date, he has led nine training workshops, helping cities to become familiar with the EPIC model and to begin implementing it with seed grants.
Said O’Donoghue: “The EPIC model emerged from the USA, and with the help of organisations such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United Nations Global Adaptation Network, has developed an amazing community of practice in African partner cities which have adapted the model to their own regional challenges and contexts.”
EPIC provides a platform for research that speaks directly to the needs of the communities involved and the local governments responsible for implementing the solutions. Since the EPIC Africa network was established, a further two regional partnerships have emerged in Southeast Asia and Latin America. Further information on the EPIC model and the regional networks can be found on the EPIC-N website.
According to Mncwabe, EPIC-Durban embodies the strength of collaboration among Higher Education Institutions, local governments, and communities. This initiative harnesses the academic rigor and innovative energy of UKZN scholars and students, alongside the extensive scientific, local, indigenous and practical knowledge of eThekwini Municipality officials and communities. This creates tangible, co-produced and community-driven solutions to urban challenges.
Mncwabe says that the focus has been primarily on Quarry Road West and Pholani informal settlements – which face persistent issues such as flooding and food insecurity – as well as in the peri-urban area of Mzinyathi.
“Winning the Partnership of the Year Award is a profound achievement for the EPIC-Durban and EPIC Africa community, highlighting the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in tackling complex development issues,” he said. “This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of academics, students, municipal officials and communities committed to innovative solutions that address climate change, inequality and service delivery obstacles, particularly within informal settlements and peri-urban areas.
“EPIC-Durban operates within a framework termed ‘A Classroom Without Walls’, where educational experiences are directly tied to real-world scenarios. Through immersive fieldwork, students engage closely with municipal officials and community leaders, fostering a collaborative environment that empowers community members and enhances research relevance,” said Mncwabe.
Sutherland says the EPIC Durban project has built strong and long-standing relationships between academics, municipal officials, students and community members, supporting the development of innovative communities of practice in the city, which leads to knowledge sharing, and research for impact.
“The collaborative and people-centred approach builds on past learnings but also serves as a call to action to further strengthen relationships and trust, which embodies the spirit of Ubuntu towards a more just, resilient and sustainable future for all,” she said.
Epic Durban student Ms Alucy Sithole conducted interdisciplinary research on Menstrual Hygiene Management in Pholani informal settlement as part of the EPIC programme. “I was assessing challenges and solutions for women’s and girls’ sanitation access. My research established that women and girls from this settlement faced a challenge with managing their menstrual hygiene due to not having a proper disposal system, therefore they found themselves having to openly dispose of what is meant to be sacred.”
Sithole stated that working on the research project as part of the Special Studies B: Internship EPIC-Durban module, which is part of her honours programme in Development Studies, was a truly enriching experience as it allowed her to engage with the community, understand their challenges, and contribute knowledge for impact in relation to sanitation innovation in the city.
“Despite the challenges I faced, particularly with data collection, the support from my supervisor and coordinator made a significant difference,” said Sithole. “I learned valuable lessons about adaptability, community engagement, and the importance of innovative approaches in research.”
Sithole added that she was grateful for the opportunity to have been part of EPIC Durban, given the value of being a member of a learning network.
Transdisciplinary research is the globally recognised ‘gold standard’ whereby researchers, city officials, practitioners, civil society, communities (in this case Quarry Road West and Pholani informal settlements) and other stakeholders co-develop research challenges and questions in order to produce actionable outcomes that are best aligned with the needs of the stakeholders. It takes the ivory tower out of university research.
Words : Sinoyolo Mahlasela
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini
