Centre for Ecological Intelligence (CEI)
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We undertake, facilitate, supervise and mentor scholarly and applied research on urban agriculture, food systems, enterprise and entrepreneurship, water, energy, and waste technology through critical reflection and evaluation.
We have set up integrated food systems at various sites in Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga which offer living laboratories and incubation hubs for relevant and practical experiential learning opportunities to undergraduate and postgraduate students from a diversity of disciplines.
We offer teaching and training courses, and programmes in agroecology, aquaponics, aquaculture, hydroponics, water-energy and food nexus, cannabis and agri enterprises and many more.
We are active in community engagement, involvement, and participation as an implicit requirement of the University of Johannesburg in addressing social needs through scholarship, service learning and research.
Our Vision
The vision of the Centre for Ecological Intelligence (CEI) is the creation of a Centre that supports research, training and teaching activities and advocacy related to agroecology, environment, enterprise, entrepreneurship and food and nutrition security, all of which will be embedded within the 4IR framework. The Centre’s work is considered a high priority at local, provincial, regional, and national levels, at national and global HEIs and in most, if not all community settings.
Our Mission
The Centre’s mission is to address high-profile issues such as poverty, hunger (including micronutrient deficiencies), sustainable food systems, job creation, socio-economic development, urban design, and technology development through relevant research to inform policy and strategic interventions in the food system. The Centre will focus on women, youth, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, in urban, peri-urban, rural, and marginalized communities
The Centre’s tenets and ideals are in alignment with UJ’s values inspiring the communities in which we work to transform problems into possibilities. Our interventions are innovative and are carried out in a collaborative and inclusive approach in the pursuit of knowledge. Our Centre is on the one hand looking ahead with imagination but on the other hand grounded and always in conversation with all stakeholders regenerating and or transforming places and people based on strong ethical foundations of a fair and just society
The CEI aims to be an Afrocentric Centre of Excellence in food and nutrition security through academic development, strategic research, and small business development.