School of Social Sciences

Joseph Rudigi Rukema

Joseph Rudigi

Joseph Rudigi Rukema

Senior Lecturer

DisciplineSociology

Email josephr1@ukzn.ac.za

Contact Number 031-260-2440

CampusHoward College Campus

Office Address MTB, Level 1. Room: F121A

Last Updated 2 months ago

Degrees Held

  • PhD Social Policy Studies (UKZN)
  • Masters in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies (UKZN)
  • Honours in Public Policy (UKZN)
  • State Diploma in Pedagogy (Institut Sendwe. Kalemie, Republic of Zaire).
  • Certificate of basic Primary Education (Ecole Primaire Mwana. Vyura, Republic of Zaire).

Awards

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for 3 years (University of KwaZulu-Natal)
  • Africa knowledge interchange (NRF)
  • Excellence Award (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Research Office)
  • Best teacher ward by the students (Kigali Independent University)
  • Productivity awards (UKZN)
  • UKZN competitive grant

Research Interests

  • Social entrepreneurship
  • Climate change and adaptation
  • Natural disaster (Prevention, Management and social change)
  • Conflict Resolution and Peace Building
  • Migration
  • Political violence
  • African indigenous knowledge systems
  • Rural development
  • Regional integration
  • Terrorism and insurgency

Teaching Interests

  • I successfully taught and developed modules at both under and postgraduate levels. My teaching satisfies both the needs of general education of students and my own conviction. I developed and taught the following modules:

Publications

Student Supervision

Community Involvement

  • I have interdisciplinary academic training, global teaching, management, and research agenda expertise and these are evidenced in my teaching records across the African continent coupled with international publications. I have developed excellent networking skills and this is translated into a number of visits to the following universities as visiting scholar: Kigali independent University (Rwanda), Kampala University (Uganda), University of Lay Adventists of Kigali” (UNILAK) (Rwanda), University of Rwanda (Rwanda) Chandigarh University (India), Daruu Salam University (Somalia), Universite de Goma (Democratic Republic of Congo), Institut Superieure de developpement Rural (Democratic Republic of Congo), Margan State University (USA). 
  • My network initiatives include organizing collaborative publications among scholars across the African continent, which culminated in six books publications. This was done in the framework of bringing African scholars to exchange knowledge through collaborative publications.
  • I have attended international conferences to present thematic, working and position papers. I am the former Associate Editor of East African Journal of Science and Technology. Currently I’m the associate editor of Anthropology and Ethnology Open Access Journal (AEOAJ). I am regular Proposal reviewer and panel member of the National Research Foundation NRF, regular reviewer of numerous Journals.
  • My social and economic background motivated me to develop a passion for social entrepreneurship and the spirit of community development, which culminated in initiating numerous community projects.
  •  Out of this passion for entrepreneurship and community development, I founded a community Higher Learning Institution “Sub-Saharan Africa University / Universite de l’Afrique Sub-Saharienne (Democratic Republic of Congo). Currently, it is employing 105 people (https://www.subsaharaafricauniversity.com/).
  • Initiated the project, and organized members of the community to own the project. I was responsible for setting up the structure, making the application for registration and accreditation of the University, I oversaw the design and implementation of academic programs, and setting up administrative and scientific structures as well as policies governing the institution. I fundraised for the functioning of the University, I mobilized funding for the construction of university infrastructure.
  • Furthermore, through my teaching, I initiated numerous community projects including Advocacy for Disaster Risk Reduction and Environmental Sustainability (ADDRES) www.adrres.org (in Rwanda).
  • I initiated “United against Gender Based-Violence (UAGBV)” at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. This was a student-led organization dealing with gender-based violence. The organization was established as an outcome of the third module in Sociology I taught. The module focused on gender construction and inequality including gender-based violence.
  • After successful completion of the module, I motivated students to start the organization in response to the growing level of gender intolerance. I assisted students to draft the organization profile and setting up an administrative structure. The organization operated as a student organization.
  • I have also initiated an Association of builders from the informal settlement, Mayville, Durban, South Africa. http://ndabaonline.ukzn.ac.za/StoryPrinter.aspx?id=7524. Effective implementation of the Association was interrupted as a result of COVID-19. Now I have started engaging with members of the association to revive the activities.
  • I am serving in the church (Emmanuel Cathedral, Durban) as Minister of Hospitality for over 22 years.
  • In 2004, in Durban, South Africa, I established a Language Centre registered as a private company. The vision of the center was to promote unity through diversity by transferring language skills. The center offers lessons in Local and International languages. It provided job opportunities and facilitated the acquisition of practical communication skills in different languages. The impact is that it hosts people from vulnerable groups including refugees benefited English skills and many of them were able to further their education and secure employment.

Teaching Expertise

  • Sociology
  • Social entrepreneurship
  • Community development
  • Climate change and environment
  • Conflict Resolution