Visitors series

GCRO has initiated a ‘Visitors Series’ with the aim of securing the services of visiting researchers, or practitioners to reflect on and write up their work experiences and work with the GCRO for a defined period.

The Visitors Series kicked off in 2010 with NRF Chair in Urban Planning and Modelling, Phil Harrison, taking up space in GCRO offices on 1 April 2010. The visit came to end with GCRO’s move into temporary office space at the end of August 2010, and with Prof Harrison finding alternative space in the School of Architecture and Planning. The visit laid a foundation for ongoing co-operation with Prof Harrison, as a member of the RAC, through the launching of a joint seminar series, and through the design of a collaborative book series project on spatial change in Gauteng.

David Everatt has been in discussion with two possible ‘visiting’ academics to GCRO, Coleen Vogel, previously at the Geographical and Environmental Science Department at Wits, and Pundy Pillay, currently associated with P&DM.

GCRO has also initiated internal discussion on other possible modes for the visitors series, including targeted bursaries for masters and PhD students, visitors from government, post-docs, and international short term internships.

A proposed framework for an internship programme was presented at the December GCRO Board meeting, where-after it was further developed to clarify roles, responsibilities and remuneration levels of possible interns. An advert has been prepared and will be circulated within the two universities in March 2012.