ACADEMIC POSITIONS - URBAN PLANNING AND SMART CITIES

URBAN PLANNING AND SMART CITIES INSTITUTE

SIX PERMANENT ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

DUT URBAN PLANNING AND SMART CITIES INSTITUTE

(2 × Professors / 2 × Associate Professors / 2 × Senior Lecturers)

With more than 34 400 students and approximately 1 700 members of staff, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) is a leading university of technology located in Durban and Pietermaritzburg on South Africa's east coast. Founded in April 2002 through the merger of ML Sultan Technikon and Technikon Natal, DUT has evolved into a modern, metropolitan, multi-campus university with roots extending to 1907.

DUT is recognised nationally and internationally for excellence in teaching and learning, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and engagement. Its Philosophy of Education “Our creativity and innovation shape adaptive graduates who transform society” reflects a commitment to meaningful impact. Guided by ENVISION2030, DUT's DNA is people-centred and engaged, and innovative and entrepreneurial, with an institutional focus on improving lives and livelihoods.

The University invites applications from accomplished and emerging scholars who can build transdisciplinary research programmes, develop postgraduate researchers, form municipal, community, government and industry partnerships, and translate rigorous research into inclusive, climate-resilient, data-informed and implementable solutions for rapidly urbanising African cities.

About the Institute

The DUT Urban Planning and Smart Cities Institute (UPSI) brings together urban and regional planning, engineering, environmental science, data science and design to address the compound challenges facing rapidly urbanising African cities.

The Institute research agenda

The six appointments are deliberately distributed across three complementary themes. Candidates must identify the relevant position title and reference number in their application.

• Urban Planning and Governance: Climate Risk Science and Resilient Settlement Systems
• Infrastructure Reliability Engineering and Systems Intelligence
• Port-City Mobility Systems and Freight-Logistics Science

Shared expectations for all six appointments

• Establish and sustain a coherent programme of high-quality research within the allocated theme, with measurable scientific, policy, societal, environmental and economic value.
• Publish in reputable DHET-accredited and internationally recognised outlets and pursue competitive national and international research funding.
• Supervise master's and doctoral candidates to completion; mentor postdoctoral fellows and emerging researchers; and contribute to a strong research culture across disciplines.
• Develop active partnerships with stakeholders, including communities, regulators, industry, government, funders and other academic institutions, while protecting academic independence.
• Advance projects through appropriate ethics, data governance, community consent, quality assurance, risk management and implementation pathways.
• Attract substantial external funding and develop sustainable research portfolios and partnerships.
• Translate research into living laboratories, observatories, demonstrators, planning tools, standards, policy, investment decisions, protected intellectual property or ventures where appropriate.
• Support good research governance, responsible data stewardship, open and reproducible science where appropriate, laboratory safety, quality assurance and audit readiness.

Position 1

Professor: Compound Climate-Risk Modelling and Equitable Adaptation Planning in Coastal Urban Settlements

Theme 1: Urban Planning and Governance: Climate Risk Science and Resilient Settlement Systems

Reference Number: 30002791

Status of Position: Permanent

Campus: Durban / Pietermaritzburg, as determined by DUT

Theme-specific expertise

The appointee will provide intellectual leadership on climate risk, spatial inequality and settlement transformation. The programme should integrate urban and regional planning, multi-hazard risk assessment, climate adaptation, infrastructure access, participatory governance, and spatial justice, with Durban and comparable African coastal cities serving as living laboratories.

Minimum requirements

• A doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in urban or regional planning, environmental engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• A strong record of research and/or academic leadership with a distinguished record of research leadership in climate risk, urban and regional planning, settlement transformation, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, spatial justice, or closely related fields.
• Substantial and sustained period of distinguished academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment, recognised standing in the field.
• A minimum of ten (10) DHET-accredited research outputs/creative outputs over the preceding three years, relevant to the discipline, with evidence of research quality and impact.
• Evidence of a substantial record of successful supervision to completion of Master's and Doctoral students
• Demonstrated success in securing competitive research funding (grants, contracts or commissioned research).
• Evidence of leading multidisciplinary teams and building national/international research collaborations.

Key responsibilities

• Provide intellectual and strategic leadership in the development and delivery of a world-class research programme aligned with the Institute's thematic focus.
• Drive research excellence through the production of high-impact publications, innovations and other scholarly outputs.
• Attract substantial external funding and develop sustainable research portfolios and partnerships.
• Lead postgraduate education through supervision, mentorship and research capacity development.
• Foster multidisciplinary collaboration and build strong networks across government, industry, communities and academic institutions.
• Advance the translation of research into policy, practice, innovation and measurable societal impact.
• Ensure effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of research, funding, innovation, and engagement outcomes in line with the Institute's and University's performance indicators.

Ideal / additional recommendations

• Proven experience in collaborating with municipalities, disaster-management agencies, communities and international partners to address climate risk, spatial inequality and settlement-resilience challenges.
• Experience in leading multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research programmes addressing complex urban challenges.
• NRF rating or equivalent recognised international research standing.

Position 2

Professor: Reliability Engineering and Interdependency Modelling of Urban Infrastructure Networks

Theme 2: Infrastructure Reliability Engineering and Systems Intelligence

Reference Number: 30002792

Status of Position: Permanent

Campus: Durban / Pietermaritzburg, as determined by DUT

Theme-specific expertise

The appointee will lead research on the reliability, equity, and climate resilience of interdependent urban systems, including water, sanitation, stormwater, roads, energy, and digital infrastructure. The programme must connect engineering evidence to lifecycle investment, municipal governance, service continuity and accountable decision-making.

Minimum requirements

• A relevant doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in Civil Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering, Urban Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Systems Engineering, Construction Management, Urban and Regional Planning (with a strong infrastructure focus), or a closely related discipline.
• A strong record of research and/or academic leadership with a distinguished record of research leadership in the planning, governance, resilience and management of