The University of Nairobi is proud to announce the establishment of its new center, dubbed “Center for Urban-Rural Linkages in Africa” (CURLA) launched on 13th October, 2023. CURLA partly culminates to the fulfilment of previous diverse areas of collaboration between the University and UN-Habitat towards sustainable urbanization. The operationalization of the center was approved by the Vice Chancellor of University of Nairobi through a memo on 24th February 2023.The Center will be domiciled at the University of Nairobi and will partner with various international agencies such as  UN-Habitat.

The establishment of the center is in response to the growing need for sustainable and balanced development between urban and rural areas in Africa and globally. It also aims to bring together experts from a range of disciplines towards accelerated achievement of the 2030 global agenda and the 2063 African agenda.. The new Center will not only conduct cutting-edge and context specific research to inform policy decisions but also raise a generation of experts through capacity building of students and teaching fraternity.

As the University of Nairobi continues to expand its research capabilities, the establishment of the Centre represents a significant step towards advancing knowledge in this field and making a positive impact in Kenya, Africa and beyond. With its state-of-the-art facilities, talented staff, and strong partnerships with industry, development partners and government, the Center is poised to make a significant impact in the future.