The Aga Khan University’s East Africa Institute (EAI) partnered with the Innovative Governance of Large Urban Systems (IGLUS) programme to run a two-week long lecture series and learning module on urban development for the IGLUS executive master students from around the world.
IGLUS is an action-research program that held its first training module in Africa when they visited Kampala, Uganda in 2018. Nairobi, Kenya’s largest city with a rapidly growing urban population, serves as the program’s second African destination. Past programme destinations include India, Malaysia and Mexico amongst others.
Grounded in interdisciplinary, hands-on and internationally focused learning modules, IGLUS shares in AKU’s core values of impact, quality, relevance and access. Commenting on the structure of the IGLUS programme and how it aligns with AKU’s vision, the programme’s Academic Advisor, Professor Jerry Kolo of the American University of Sharjah said: “In a world where large and complex urban systems knit humans and their environment in an inextricable relationship, IGLUS is uniquely designed to train professionals who can manage this relationship effectively by engaging trainees in pragmatic research, seminars and exercises that challenge them to think critically and innovatively through situations and scenarios where the foremost constant is uncertainty.”
From urban planning and architecture, to political science and public administration, academics and development practitioners convened at AKU’s Graduate School of Media and Communications to hold conceptual lectures, panel discussions, interactive workshops and empirical field visits.
Program Director Professor Finger Matthias believes that the best way to truly understand how businesses operate is to experience them in a variety of urban contexts, from developed to developing, so as to assess the best mechanisms and practice for progress. This means looking at an urban environment not only through the physically built structures, but also operating systems, governance and social cohesion and integration.
The first week of modules began with a lecture delivered by Dr Willy Mutunga, Kenya’s former Chief Justice. Dr Mutunga discussed public participation in the making of a constitution, the realities of civil sovereignty in Kenya and used the country’s Makueni County as a case study to assess qualities of “incorruptible leadership” that values accountability to its constituents.
Other speakers included Mitiku Woldesenbet, who represented UN Habitat and shared information on an ongoing project regarding streets as public spaces; he used the Case Study of Luthuli Avenue: Fixing Nairobi, one street at a time to drive his presentation.
Aleya Kassam, a feminist, storyteller, writer and performer, hosted an interactive lecture entitled Stories of Nairobi, a discussion about being a woman of Indian descent in Kenya. She focused on the impact of historical legacies and opportunities for artistic expression as our city stridently becomes more urban.
A group favourite was a discussion hosted by Sahil Shah, Project Lead of the Kenya Business Guide and a policy and strategy advisor working in private sector and economic development. Shah’s discussion around Nairobi and Her Economies shared stories of how the history of immigration and colonialization has left an indelible mark on how we as a country operate, the proliferation of sub-economies due to land and zoning regulations, the impact of policy and ‘misplaced priorities’ on our economy, and how social determinants and access to jobs controls the marketplace.
EAI Research Assistants Mercy Karumba and Lucy Mbuvi presented the 2019 Youth Entry-Level Skills Report, delving deeper into youth unemployment in Kenya and skills in demand of entry-level employees in today’s job market. Students were particularly surprised to learn that from all the employees that were surveyed in the formal sector, none reported earning above 100,000 Kenyan Shillings (about 1,000 USD) in a month. A majority of employees in the formal sector reported a monthly wage of 10,000-25,000 Kenyan Shillings (about 100-250 USD).
From taking a tour of Nairobi city led by Nai-Nami – a group of savvy young entrepreneurs who started their lives on the street -- to Dandora Transformation League, Kilimani Foundation and Khoja mosque, students were exposed to the diverse infrastructure of the city. Field visits further afforded students with the opportunity for personal integration with spaces representative of Kenya’s diverse and vibrant cultural history.
At the Khoja mosque, a national gazetted monument under the National Museums of Kenya, the group was accorded a one-on-one session with Dr Azim Lakhani, the Diplomatic Representative to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Kenya. Dr Lakhani spoke about the contribution of AKDN to social and economic development in Kenya. This was followed by a personal and anecdotal presentation by an Elder of the Shia Ismaili community, Mr Ameer Kassim-Lakha, as he discussed the history and heritage of the Ismaili community in Kenya.
While at the Khoja mosque, the group was also given a private tour of Fragile Beauty, a fine arts photography exhibition by Prince Hussain Aga Khan that features over 100 photographs of diverse marine life. The exhibition depicts the beauty, fragility and diversity of marine life and was designed to create awareness around the necessity and urgency to protect, conserve and manage our oceanic heritage and resources.
Focusing on the importance of social integration and cohesion in any profession, all the sessions shared lively and engaging debates around governance, policy, inclusion and social mobility in everyday work. The next IGLUS session will be held in Seoul, South Korea in June 2020.
