School of International Futures

Geci Karuri-Sebina

Biography

Professor Geci Karuri-Sebina, PhD 

Geci is a scholar-practitioner based in Johannesburg working in the intersection between people, place and technological change. She is Associate Professor in Digital Governance at the Wits School of Governance where she is coordinating the establishment of the new Tayarisha Centre and hosting the African Civic Tech Innovation Network. She is also a Principal at The School of International Futures (SOIF), an Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town’s African Centre for Cities, Associate of South African Cities Network, and a global faculty member with Singularity University on the future of cities and governance. Geci holds Bachelors’ degrees in Computer Science and Sociology (Iowa); Masters’ degrees in Urban Planning and Architecture from UCLA (Los Angeles); and a PhD in Planning and Innovation Studies from the University of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg).

Geci is widely recognised and published in the fields of development planning, policy, foresight, and innovation and is involved in editorial roles in several leading journals in the fields of innovation and futures. She previously held positions at the South African Cities Network, the South African National Treasury, the Council for Scientific Research and Human Sciences Research Council, and the UCLA Advanced Policy Institute.

  • Selection of recent publications:
    • The future as a public good: decolonising the future through anticipatory participatory action research (2022). Foresight. Co-authored with R. Bourgeois and K.E. Feukeu.
    • Re-imagining the future: city-region foresight and visioning in an era of fragmented governance (2022). Regional Studies, Taylor and Francis. Co-authored with T.J. Dixon, J. Ravetz and M. Tewdwr-Jones.
    • A Research Agenda for Transformative Urban Climate Action (2022). Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, University of Toronto Press. Co-authored with Rachel Huxley, Mariana Mazzucato, Aromar Revi, et al
    • Strengthening Innovation Ecosystems in Africa: Seeking out the systemic changes in the wake of COVID-19 (2021). Univ of Johannesburg TRCTI Working Paper Series, WP 2021–02. Co-authored with O. Adesida and K. Thaver. 
    • Different Strokes of the 4th Industrial Revolution: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic on technological change and prospects for Africa (2021). Univ of Johannesburg TRCTI Working Paper Series, WP 2021 – 11. Co-authored with J. Gatune, A. Kingiri, E. Lorenz, and D. de Boer.
    • Can innovation address Africa’s challenges? (2021). African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development Vol.13, No.7, pp.779-784. Co-authored article and Special Issue with O. Adesida and E. Kraemer-Mbula.
    • Playing in the Gap: Re-Futuring African Cities (2021). RISE Africa Discussion Series, ICLEI. Co-authored with Thireshen Govender.

Special Issues:

  • Special Issue: Reconceptualising Foresight and its Impact: Experiences in Decolonising Futures from the global South (Forthcoming, 2022/3).  foresight journal, Emerald UK. Guest Editor with Riel Miller and Eva Kwamou Feukeu. 
  • Special Issue: Futures Literacy: Character, capabilities and significance (Forthcoming, 2022/3). Futures Journal, Elsevier. Guest Editor with Per Koch and Roberto Poli.
  • Special Issue: Re-imagining the Future: City region foresight and visioning in an era of fragmented governance (2021). Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis. Guest Editor with Tim Dixon, Mark Tewdwr-Jones & Joe Ravetz.
  • Special Issue: Can innovation address Africa’s challenges? (2021). African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development (AJSTID), Taylor & Francis. Guest Editor with Olugbenga Adesida & Erika Kraemer-Mbula.
  • Special Issue: Women in African Real Estate and Urban Development Research (2021). Journal of African Real Estate Research, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2021 (African Real Estate Society / University of Cape Town). Guest editor with Karen M. Gibler.

 

Books:

  • Innovation Ecosystems In Africa: Solving the problems we have (Forthcoming, 2022). Edited book published by Amalion Books. Co-edited with Olugbenga Adesida, João Resende-Santos and Mammo Muchie.
  • Space, people and technology: Reclaiming the narrative on cities (Forthcoming, 2022). The Built Environment in Emerging Economies (BEinEE) series, published by AOSIS Books & Tshwane University of Technology. Co-edited with Prof Amira Osman. 
  • Innovation Africa: Emerging Hubs of Excellence (2016). Edited book published by Emerald Books. Co-edited with Olugbenga Adesida and João Resende-Santos.

Editorials:

  • Editorial board of Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, University of Toronto Press.
  • Editorial board of African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, Taylor & Francis.
  • Africa Regional editor of foresight journal, Emerald.
  • Editorial board of African Journal of Information and Communication, Link Centre, Wits.

LinkedIn gecik | Twitter @geci | Facebook geci.karurisebina

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Geci Karuri-Sebina

Associate Professor in Digital Governance at the Wits School of Governance