The realization of decent housing for all remains a priority for many people in South Africa, Africa and worldwide. It is on that backdrop that the University of Fort Hare Human Settlements Department in collaboration with the Institute of Human Settlement Practitioners South Africa (IHSP- SA) will be hosting the first-ever Human Settlements and Housing African Regional Student Conference.

This conference forms part of a multinational collaborative effort that focuses on professional development, capacity building, resource development, advocacy, legislation, and building principled partnerships to address the housing crisis and support sustainable development needs experienced in many African nations.

Themed: Strengthening the Sector Wide Capacity Development Efforts in a Pandemic – Opportunities for Young Professionals, the hybrid event (venue-based and virtual) will be held from 27 to 29 October 2021 at the Regent Hotel in East London. Scholars and Researchers from the African continent and the USA who are in this field of study and approximately 80 students from various institutions pursuing their studies in housing and human settlements will present their academic papers on a range of sub-themes.

In 2015, UFH made history when it became the first university to offer a Bachelor of Social Science in Human Settlements Degree under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The launch event was held in partnership with the National Department of Human Settlements and the Department of Higher Education and Training on the Alice Campus. The core mandate of the curriculum is to support the professional development of the Human Settlements Sector. The conference is the culmination of a longer-term project driven by the Faculty which aims to contribute to the realization of the objectives of the National Development Plan to address capacity constraints and other challenges in the human settlements sector.

For further inquiries please contact: Mr Thando Mteto - Conference coordinator: on admin@ihsp-sa.org