The Urban Studies Foundation (USF) is once again pleased to welcome a new group of International Fellows, who will begin their research over the coming year. USF International Fellowships provide dedicated time and institutional support for early-to-mid-career scholars from the Global South to strengthen their research outputs, deepen international collaborations, and share new perspectives on urban challenges around the world.
This year’s cohort—based in Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia, and South Africa—will engage with themes such as housing financialisation, waste and circular urbanism, water infrastructure, youth aspirations, more-than-human urbanism, postcolonial politics, urban storytelling, participatory upgrading, and urban imaginaries. Their work expands global conversations on how cities are imagined, governed, and lived, reaffirming USF’s commitment to advancing inclusive and critical urban research.
The 2025–2026 International Fellows are:
- Dr Richard Apatewen Azerigyik (Koforidua Technical University, Ghana),
- Dr Michael Gameli Dziwornu (Council for Scientific & Industrial Research, Ghana),
- Dr Raina Ghosh (Digital Empowerment Foundation, India),
- Dr Galuh Syahbana Indraprahasta (National Research and Innovation Agency – BRIN, Indonesia),
- Dr Lazarus Jambadu (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana),
- Dr Mukta Naik (National Institute of Urban Affairs, India),
- Prof. Maria Raquel Passos Lima (State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil),
- Dr Gustavo Prieto (Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil),
- Dr Solam Mkhabela (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa).
Each Fellow will be hosted by a leading international institution. Partner universities and research centres in Denmark, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States will provide mentorship, community, and opportunities for global exchange—ensuring that the Fellows’ work resonates across regions and disciplines. The Foundation expresses gratitude to the host institutions for their partnership and support.
The USF also extends warm thanks to the mentors supporting this cohort, whose expertise spans urban political ecology, housing and infrastructure policy, cultural urbanism, and decolonial theory. This year’s mentors include Prof. Marie Huchzermeyer, Prof. Tim Bunnell, Dr Aidan Mosselson, Prof. Rivke Jaffe, Dr Marie Kolling, Prof. Wilbard Kombe, Prof. Stephen Walker, and Dr Anant Maringanti. Their commitment to collaborative mentorship and cross-regional dialogue will be central to the Fellows’ success. The USF is especially pleased that two former USF grant holders (including one former International Fellow!) and three former Mentors have committed to supporting this year’s Fellows!
The USF International Fellowship scheme will reopen for applications in early 2026, and prospective candidates are invited to review last year’s application details to begin preparing their proposal on the USF website.
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