is a French association specialising in the facilitation of knowledge creation and dissemination in urban sustainability. We organise knowledge events, which take various forms, and ensure the effective dissemination of the knowledge created during these events. Outside the activities of the association, we engage in ad hoc consulting work within our respective specialised fields.
Concerning knowledge creation, our activities facilitate the sharing of knowledge among knowledge professionals (like researchers, consultants and educators, in broad terms), as well as other practitioners (like government officials, engineers and business owners) and other members of urban communities.
These activities include online and face-to-face events, like courses, workshops, conferences, retreats and other engagements.
Our dissemination efforts incorporate multimodal meaning-making principles and digital technologies. We aim to push against the boundaries of conventional academic dissemination.
Our resources for dissemination are usually closely aligned with the knowledge creation events in which we are involved and could include whatever we deem fit for the kind of knowledge created and carefully identified audiences. These resources include summary brochures, short courses, infographics, podcasts, comics, websites, images, distributed through the appropriate channels, including popular social media platforms.
Our knowledge creation and dissemination processes are designed through blending the six Mtracs Flavours in various ways.
People
Dr Ed Campbell – President
I have been involved in academic literacies, professional education, online learning design and teaching for 14 years. From 2014 until 2021, I was associated with the University of Cape Town’s School of Education, as part-time lecturer and PhD researcher. My research focused on the integration of digital technologies in the practices of professionals. With academic literacy and professional education being at the heart of what I do, I designed and co-facilitated an online course for young academics in Sub-Saharan Africa practicing within the broader urban sustainability fields, in 2022 and 2023. In the process I developed an interest in urban planning/sustainability education. I have presented at seminars, workshops and conferences, covering topics ranging from multimodal semiotics, the arts, language and literacy to professional education and digital technologies. Want to know more?
As part of the management team of Mtracs, I am responsible for operations: writing funding proposals, convening projects, coordinating events and managing the creation of knowledge resources and their dissemination. Additionally, I undertake any online learning design, depending on the kind of project and/or event, as well as any other ICT tasks necessary within the association.
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Dr Herrie Schalekamp – Treasurer
I have worked as a researcher and consultant with several organisations, including Codatu, the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations, the Africa Transport Policy Programme, the South African National Treasury and the University of Cape Town (UCT). I am currently affiliated with UCT as an adjunct senior lecturer, and as research associate at the Laboratoire Ville Mobilité Transport at École des Ponts ParisTech. My focus is on public transport reform in Sub-Saharan African cities. I am a specialist consultant and researcher, advisor on capacity building and stakeholder engagement, and convene and facilitate workshops and learning programmes. I also regularly serve as guest lecturer and invited speaker. You can read more about me here.
I am responsible for overseeing the strategic goals and finances of Mtracs, as part of the management team. In this role, I do not only oversee the association’s books, but I ensure that the kinds of projects undertaken and the knowledge created and disseminated are making valuable contributions to our fields, as well as to broader society.
