The African Centre of Excellence for Studies in Public and Non-motorised Transport (ACET) was established in 2008 under the Future Urban Transport programme of the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations (VREF). Out of a global network of eight Centres of Excellence in transport funded through this programme, ACET is the first to be based in Africa.
ACET is comprised of interacting academics and funded postgraduate research students from three main partner universities: the University of Cape Town; the University of Dar es Salaam; and the University of Nairobi. Collectively the partners represent a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, planners and social scientists with a shared interest in urban passenger transport systems.
ACET’s objective is to produce and disseminate knowledge on the development and governance of public and non-motorised transport in African cities, and to serve as a hub of research and capacity building. The Centre aims to empower researchers in Africa to set their own research agendas and engage directly with the transport challenges they face.
It is a challenge to build African research capacity in the ‘Future Urban Transport’ field. An overarching objective is therefore to facilitate an increase in journal publication, and greater involvement of African researchers in international conferences and in other forms of scholar interaction.
