Landscape image of a a crop field with mountains in the background

Center for Complex Systems in Transition (CST)

The Stellenbosch Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST) is a Stellenbosch University ‘flagship’ initiative established in 2015.

This initiative brings together complexity thinking, sustainability science and transdisciplinary research methodology.

Research at the CST is largely conducted in collaborative inter- and transdisciplinary teams that draw in expertise from different disciplines as well as from policy, practice and local stakeholders. Much of the research is funded by external project grants, and students are part of the larger project teams which provides additional opportunities for learning and research support.

CST has the following cross-cutting research themes:

These cross-cutting themes are applied to the following empirical research fields:

Food Systems
Water Systems
Energy Systems
Urban Systems

The centre is funded in part by Stellenbosch University, and in part by the National Research Foundation, plus project funding from a range of sources. The CST is located at the STIAS Wallenberg Centre in the Old Stables.

Latest news and articles

Catalytic Grant Blog March 9, 2023

Meet the Catalytic Grant Winners from the COP27 Resilience Hub

Four teams will be awarded with a $5000 USD grant. The award is a joint effort from Climate Justice Resilience Fund (CJRF), Global Resilience Partnership (GRP), and International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

Voices from the Frontline March 3, 2023

Trees of hope: How Kurna people planted trees to adapt to the climate crisis

The members of the Kurna Community are addressing climate change impacts by using nature-based solutions such as afforestation. This is the twelfth of the ‘Voices from the Frontline (Phase-II)’ stories by ICCCAD and GRP.

Article March 1, 2023

Challenging established practices in the coffee industry

Coffee is one of the world’s most traded commodities, but many smallholder farmers struggle to access profitable markets. In Uganda, Mountain Harvest is working together with farmers to change this.

Voices from the Frontline March 1, 2023

Promoting Indigenous Knowledge to strengthen community led adaptation

Smallholder farmers in the Umzingwane district from the southern part of Zimbabwe are taking up locally-led initiatives and indigenous knowledge to adapt to unpredictable climate patterns. This is the eleventh of the ‘Voices from the Frontline (Phase-II)’ stories by ICCCAD and GRP.

Voices from the Frontline February 27, 2023

From debt cycle to self-resilience: A Story from the small village of Datinakhali

In Datinakhali, Bangladesh, a cooperative savings fund is helping local women diversify their livelihoods to adapt to climate change. This is the tenth of the ‘Voices from the Frontline (Phase-II)’ stories by ICCCAD and GRP.