The UNESCO Chair at the University of Basel is expanding its collaboration with Prof. Julian Pillay at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in South Africa. The new partnership focuses on developing health programmes together with local communities and on strengthening approaches that promote healthier lifestyles and reduce health inequalities.

A central aim of the collaboration is to better understand how social and economic conditions shape health and health-related behaviours. The research will bring together health promotion, physical activity, and participatory approaches to develop interventions that are relevant to local contexts.

Working with communities

An important part of the planned work is the involvement of communities in the research process. Rather than developing interventions solely from a research perspective, local stakeholders will be involved in identifying challenges, discussing possible solutions and assessing their feasibility.

The research programme led by Prof. Pillay, has received funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa as part of the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI). The programme includes two components:

1. School-based health promotion programmes such as KaziKidz and KaziHealth. KaziKidz focuses on promoting healthy lifestyles among children, while KaziHealth addresses health and health behaviours among educators. The programmes will be studied in schools with different socioeconomic backgrounds, with the aim of identifying approaches that can help reduce health inequalities; and
2. Citizen science to involve young people directly in documenting their living environments - participants will collect information about their schools, neighbourhoods and communities and identify factors that make healthy choices easier or more difficult. They will then discuss their findings and develop priorities for action together with other stakeholders.

From research to practice

The collaboration builds on existing international partnerships. The University of Basel is already listed as a partner in Prof. Pillay’s research programme, alongside several South African universities and international research networks.

The partners aim to translate research findings into practical recommendations for schools, communities, and policy makers. Planned outputs include scientific publications, postgraduate research, and policy briefs.

The collaboration continues a long-standing commitment of the UNESCO Chair to research and capacity building in Southern Africa. Since its establishment, the Chair has supported research on physical activity, nutrition, and health in educational settings, with a particular focus on South Africa.

By combining scientific expertise with local knowledge and community participation, the new collaboration aims to contribute to sustainable and context-specific approaches to improving health and well-being.

Further information

• E-mail address of Prof. Dr. Julian David Pillay (pillayjd@dut.ac.za)
• UNESCO Chair on Physical Activity and Health in Educational Settings