The African Centre for Cities is thrilled to announce the launch of three massive online open courses (MOOCs), starting in September 2025. This marks an addition to our ongoing work on Teaching and Learning the City, which is underpinned by our applied research since the centre’s establishment in 2007.
Completed in collaboration with African City Labs with financial support from @SECO Coopération et développement économiques, these courses are aimed at urban professionals, urban policy makers, NGOs and other civic initiatives interested in the sustainable development of African cities.
The MOOCs are convened by leading experts in the fields, and will acquaint participants with key debates and discourses in the following topics:
- Urbanisation in Africa: The Art of the Possible
- Smart Cities, Clever Tactics, and Urban Possibilities in Africa
- What Can Food Tell Us About Cities in Africa?
Each module is thoughtfully curated with a series of inputs from multi-disciplinary teams, useful multimedia and reading material. Students will also engage with short activities as they delve into the courses. Upon successful completion, students will receive an electronic certificate.
The first MOOC starts on 11 September, with pre-registration opening on 28 August. See the schedule of courses below:
| MOOC | Pre-registration | Course starts |
| Urbanisation | 28 August | 11 September |
| Smart cities | 25 September | 09 October |
| Urban Food Systems | 23 October | 06 November |
About each MOOC
Urbanisation in Africa: The Art of the Possible
This course was designed by a multi-disciplinary team and aims to unpack the challenges and opportunities for transformative change on and for the African continent. Participants will learn more about the various debates, discourses and African urbanisation policy options, equipping them with the requisite knowledge and skills to craft holistic and inclusive solutions to these challenges.
Smart Cities, Clever Tactics, and Urban Possibilities in Africa
This course examines the potentials and risks of digitally-enabled cities. Students will gain insight into the multiple scales of infrastructure needed to facilitate digital connectivity; the essential role of data within contemporary planning and governance processes; the ethical concerns relating to public and private actors’ collection, processing, and use of data; and several African case studies that highlight the many ways technology is enhancing the administration of African cities, and participation of residents in civic activities.
What Can Food Tell Us About Cities in Africa?
uses food as a lens to critically examine how the urban form and day-to-day function of African cities both shapes and is shaped by modes of food governance, production, distribution, processing, packaging, purchasing, consumption, and waste disposal. Students will learn how historical forces continue to influence the contemporary regulation of food in African cities; how policy frameworks shape how we understand and govern urban food systems; and how important it is to discern and effectively coordinate the institutions and authorities that bear the responsibility for food in urban Africa.