The University of Liverpool’s School of Architecture has secured a £2.2 million Leverhulme International Professorship grant from the Leverhulme Trust. This grant will fund the creation of a research center dedicated to examining the impact of climate change on the West African coast.
Spanning five years, the £2.2 million grant will support the establishment of an international research lab focusing on heritage and coastal urbanism. The lab will explore how rapid globalization and climate change are influencing cities in West Africa, with a particular emphasis on their effects on cultural heritage and the socio-economic conditions of vulnerable populations in the region.
As part of this prestigious award, Professor Taibat Lawanson will join the School of Architecture from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, as the Leverhulme International Professor in Urbanism. Professor Lawanson will collaborate with Professor Ola Uduku, Head of Architecture, to launch the research lab starting this September.
The new transnational lab, based at the University of Liverpool, will engage in international research efforts and establish a Master’s Programme in Global Urbanism and Heritage. Initially focusing on West Africa, this program will include collaborative links with the University of Lagos.
Over the next five years, the lab aims to address specific UN Sustainable Development Goals: No Poverty (Goal 1), Decent Work and Economic Growth (Goal 8), Sustainable Cities and Communities (Goal 11), and Climate Action (Goal 13).
Professor Anthony Hollander, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research & Impact at the University of Liverpool, commented, “Sustainability is central to our Strategy 2031, and we are excited about the opportunity to forge partnerships in Nigeria that could drive positive change. We are thrilled to welcome Professor Lawanson from Lagos and anticipate that her presence and the lab’s work will enhance connections between two significant coastal cities.”
Professor Taibat Lawanson expressed her enthusiasm for the role: “It is an honor to be chosen as the Leverhulme International Professor in Urbanism at the University of Liverpool’s School of Architecture. I am eager to begin and to collaborate with a distinguished group of scholars to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Professor Ola Uduku, Head of the School of Architecture, added, “This funding represents a significant advancement for our School, complementing our existing research strengths in the Architecture, Heritage, and Urbanism in West Africa (AHUWA) cluster. I am excited to work with Professor Lawanson to develop the new Master’s Programme and enhance our research connections with Nigeria and across West Africa.”
