Experts directory

Prof AW Gunter

College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences
School of Ecological and Human Sustainability
Department: Geography
Professor
Tel: 011 471 3390
E-mail: gunteaw@unisa.ac.za

Expertise

  • African development
  • International students in distance education
  • Local economic development

Qualifications

  • DPhil (UJ)
  • MA (WITS)
  • PDM (WITS Business School)
  • Bsc (hons) First Class (WITS)
  • Bsc (WITS)

NRF Rating

Y2

Fields of academic interests

  • Local Economic Development
  • International Education
  • Urban Development

Field of Specialisation

  • Economic Geography

Books

  • Tshabalala, S. and Gunter, A., 2021. Technologies of Government and Policy Implementation in Small Towns Economic Development Plans in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The Routledge Handbook of Small Towns, pp.361-372
  • Massey R, and Gunter, A., (2020). Urban Geography in South Africa: Theory and Perspective. Springer: London
  • Gunter, A., (2020). Pro-poor Local Economic Development and the demand for economic growth. In Jansky, J. (ed). Dilemmas of Regional and Local Development. Springer: London.
  • Gunter, A., and Manuel, K., (2019). Urban Housing’s Role in Development and Transformation. In Massey, M., (2019). Urban Geography in South Africa. Springer.
  • Massey, R. and Gunter, A., (2019). Housing and Shelter in South Africa. In Rogerson, C and Knight, J., (eds) The Geography of South Africa (pp. 179-185). Springer, Cham.
  • Gunter, A., (2016): Monash South Africa: An international degree in a local setting, in Visser, G., Donaldson, R. and Seethal, C., (eds) A Documented History of a Century of Geography at Universities in South Africa, 1916-2015. Africa Sun Media

Journal articles

  • Steyn, C. and Gunter, A. 2022. When an international student stays at home: defining an international student in distance education. Journal of Geography in Higher Education (2021): 1-15.
  • Mittelmeier, J., Gunter, A., Raghuram, P. and Rienties, B., 2021. Migration intentions of international distance education students studying from a South African institution: unpacking potential brain drain. Globalisation, Societies and Education, pp.1-19.
  • Mittelmeier, J., Rienties, B., Gunter, A. and Raghuram, P., 2021. Conceptualizing internationalization at a distance: A “third category” of university internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 25(3), pp.266-282.
  • 'Event-tualising'Physical Leisure Activity: How Gauteng Parkrunners Brought the Parkrun Home during COVID-19
  • Dalu, M.T., Gunter, A.W., Makatu, M., Dowo, G.M., Dondofema, F. and Dalu, T., 2021. Contribution of Natural Forest Products to Rural Livelihoods at Mavunde and Sambandou Villages, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa. Sustainability, 13(8), p.4252.
  • Gunter, A., Prinsloo, P., Breines, M. and Raghuram, P., (2020). Distance education as sociomaterial assemblage: emerging space, times and practice, Population, Space and Place, On-line.
  • Mittelmeier, J., Rienties, B., Gunter, A. and Raghuram, P., (2020). Conceptualizing Internationalization at a Distance: A “Third Category” of University Internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, On-line
  • Raghuram, P., Breines, M.R. and Gunter, A., (2020). Beyond# FeesMustFall: International students, fees and everyday agency in the era of decolonisation. Geoforum, On-line.
  • Lembani, R., Gunter, A., Breines, M. and Dalu, M.T.B., (2020). The same course, different access: the digital divide between urban and rural distance education students in South Africa. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, pp.1-15.
  • Mittelmeier, J., Rogaten, J., Sachikonye, M., Gunter, A., Prinsloo, P. and Rienties, B., (2019). Understanding the adjustment of first-year distance education students in South Africa: Factors that impact students’ experiences. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, In-Press.
  • Madge, C., Mittelmeier, J., Prinsloo, P., Dalu, M., Gunter, A. and Breines, M., (2019). Role of social media in the everyday learning experiences of IDE students in South Africa. Learning, Media and Technology, In-Press
  • Rienties, B., Rogaten, J., Mittelmeier, J., Gunter, A., and Raghuram, P., (2019). Internationalisation at a Distance and at Home: Academic and Social Adjustment in a South African Distance Learning Context, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, In-press
  • Madge, C., Mittelmeier, J., Prinsloo, P., Dalu, M., Gunter, A. and Breines, M., (2019). Role of social media in the everyday learning experiences of IDE students in South Africa, Learning Media and Technology, In-Press
  • Gunter, A., and Raguham, P., (2018): Higher Education in the Global South: Internationalisation, localisation and the edu-scape of HE in South Africa , Globalisation, Societies and Education Education 16 (2), 192-207.
  • MTB Dalu, AW Gunter, RJ Wasserman, T Dalu. (2018): Owning the lake, not just the rod: The continuing challenge of'the old boys' in knowledge production, South African Journal of Science, 114 (7-8), 11.
  • B Kekana, T McKay, A Gunter. (2018): Repurposing transit zones to promote mixed used land development the case of the Sandton Gautrain station. Proceedings of the Biennial Conference of the Society of South African Geographers, 2-12.
  • Manuel, K., and Gunter, A., 2018. Privatisation of public space: security guards and policing by non-state authorities in City Improvement Districts. Proceedings of the Biennial Conference of the Society of South African Geographers, 24-41.
  • Schoeman, R., and Gunter, A., 2018. Greenwashing: Exploring the role of Green building rating agencies on the building industry, The case of Johannesburg, Proceedings of the Biennial Conference of the Society of South African Geographers, 328 - 343
  • Mittelmeier, J., Long, D., Cin, F.M., Gunter, A., Raghuram, P., Rientes, B. and Reedy, K., (2018). Learning design in diverse institutional and cultural contexts: Suggestions from a participatory workshop with higher education professionals in Africa. Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning (online)
  • Gunter, A., and Massey, R., (2017): Renting Shacks: the informal rental market in Johannesburg, South Africa, Bulletin of Geography, 37(37), 25-34.
  • Gunter, A., and Raguham, P., (2017): Internationalisation, localisation and the eduscape of Higher Education in the global South: the case of South Africa. In van Riemsdijk (ed) Rethinking International Skilled Migration. Routledge
  • Sachikonye, M and Gunter, A, (2016): Sustainable livelihood principles and urban greening in informal settlements in practice:  A case of Zandspruit informal settlement, South Africa, Development Southern Africa,
  • Gunter, A, and Manuel, K., (2016): A Role for Housing in Development: Using housing as a catalyst for development in South Africa. Journal of Local Economic Development,
  • Gunter, A. (2014): Mega events as a pretext for infrastructural development: the case of the All African Games Athletes Village, Alexandra, Johannesburg. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, 23(23), 39-52.
  • Gunter, A. (2014). Renting shacks: Landlords and tenants in the informal. Urbani izziv, (25 (s), 96-107.
  • Gunter, A., (2013): Creating Co-Sovereigns and Empowered Citizens using Social Housing in Johannesburg South Africa, Habitat International 39(1) 278-283.
  • Gunter, A., (2012): “Crisylida Capital”: Hatching Informal Township Property Markets to Benefit Low-Income Residents in Johannesburg, South Africa, Urban Forum, 23(2), 165-180.
  • Gunter, A., (2011): Stadium upgrades as Local Economic Development: The fallacy of FIFA 2010 stadium upgrade as LED within the Ellis Park Sports Precinct. South African Geographical Journal, 89(1), 79-89.
  • Gunter, A., (2011), Review article “Sport, Culture and Leisure in the Postmodern City”, South African Geographical Journal, 89(1), 98-100.
  • Gunter (2010): Human Development, In Brouard, J., (ed), Geography on the Go,   Heinemann: Johannesburg.
  • Gunter, A., & Scheepers, L., (2010): Property Tenure and Local Economic Development: Community led LED in Johannesburg South Africa. International Journal of Social Science, 5(2), 245 - 263.

Paper presentations

Conferences since 2009

  • Schoeman, R., and Gunter, A., (2018). Greenwashing: Exploring the role of Green building rating agencies on the building industry, The case of Johannesburg, Biennial Conference of the Society of South African Geographers,
  • Manuel, K., and Gunter, A., (2018). Privatisation of public space: security guards and policing by non-state authorities in City Improvement Districts. Biennial Conference of the Society of South African Geographers.
  • Raghuram, P. and Gunter, A., (2014): International study in the global South: linking student, staff and institutional mobility. Royal Geographical Society 25 – 29 August, London, UK.
  • Gunter, A., (2014): Renting Shacks: the prevalence of tenancy in the informal housing sector in Gauteng Province, South Africa, South African Geographical Society, 22 – 27 June, East London, SA.
  • Gunter, A., (2013): Mega events as a pretext for infrastructural development: The case of the All African Games Athletes Village, Alexandra, Johannesburg, Sports, Leisure and Society Conference, 19 – 20 September, Brighton, UK.
  • Gunter, A., and Scheepers, L., (2011): Slum Housing as a Catalysis for Wealth Creation and Local Economic Development, IGU Regional Conference, 14-18 November, Santiago, Chile.
  • Gunter, A., (2011): Creating co-sovereigns though social housing, RGS-IBC Conference, 3-6 August, London, England.
  • Gunter, A., (2010): Selling Slums, reviewing De Soto’s tenure debate, UrbanLand Mark Conference, 1 – 2 November, Johannesburg, South Africa.
  • Gunter, A., (2010): Property Tenure and Local Economic Development, International Conference of Social Science, 2 – 5 August, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England.
  • Gunter, A., (2010): Is this the end of Neoliberalism: The collapse of the housing market and the role of the state, School of Arts Seminar Series, Monash South Africa.
  • Gunter, A., and Scheepers, L., (2009): Low Cost Housing: local wealth in property, IGU Local Economic Development colloquium, 7 – 14 September, Warsaw, Poland.
  • Gunter, A., (2009): Using FOSS GIS to Map Squatter Settlements in Developing Countries. 8th Biannual Conference of the Southern African Geographical Society, 1-3 September, UNISA.
  • Gunter, A., and Scheepers, L., (2009): Exploring poverty elevation through housing provision. 8th Biannual Conference of the Southern African Geographical Society, 1-3 September, UNISA.
  • Gunter, A., (2009): Getting it for Free: Using FOSS GIS to estimate dwelling frames in Squatter Settlements. International Geosciences and Remote Sensing Symposium, 13 – 17 July, University of Cape Town.
  • Gunter, A., (2009): Exploring Urban Africa: Field Excursions through Johannesburg Tshwane and Ekurhuleni Region, Geography and Environmental Science Seminar Series, Monash University, Clayton Campus.

Professional positions, fellowships & awards

  • Co-Editor of the South African Geographical Journal
  • Managing Committee: The International Geographical Union’s Local Development Commission
  • School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford 2012: Visiting Research Associate
  • Department of African Studies, University of Edinburgh 2014: Visiting Research Fellow
  • Department of Geography, The Open University UK 2016, Visiting Research Fellow
  • OpenSpace Research Centre, Open University 2013 – present: Associate Member
  • Council Member:  South African Geographical Society
  • Advisory Board Member: of the International Water Center, African Water Research Node 2009 - 2011.
  • Fellow: of the Royal Geographical Society

Projects

  • Joint ESRC/NRF Newton Fund Grant 2016-2019 (R10 000 000) - Facilitating Equitable Access and Quality Education for Development: South African International Distance Education
  • VisionKeepers Research Grant 2014 (R354 000) - Tenancy in the Informal housing market in South Africa
  • South African Geographical Society Special Projects Award 2014 (R60 000) - Crowd Source Mapping
  • National Research Foundation Freestanding Postdoctoral Fellowship 2012 (USD$16 500) - The Effect of Mega Events on Local Economic Development
  • Monash Research Office Small Research Grants 2011 (R97 000)           
  • International Strategic Initiatives Funding 2009 (A$8 000)

Other

Funding:

  • AHRC Network + Grant (UK) 2020 – 2024 (R4 500 000)
  • AHRC Inception Grant (UK) 2020 (R243 000)
  • ELRI Grant (EU) 2020 – 2022 (€29 000)
  • Arts and Humanities Council Network Grant (UK) 2018 – 2019 (£59 000)
  • OU GCRO Network Grant (UK) 2019 (£7 900)
  • Lancaster University Seed Funding 2019 (£1 000)
  • Joint ESRC/NRF Newton Fund Grant 2016-2019 (£500 000 + R2 000 000)
  • VisionKeepers Research Grant 2014 (R354 000)
  • South African Geographical Society Special Projects Award 2014 (R60 000)
  • NRF Freestanding Postdoctoral Fellowship 2012 ($16 500)
  • Monash Research Office Small Research Grants 2011 (R97 000)                       
  • International Strategic Initiatives Funding 2009 (A$8 000)
  • Travel Grants: R170 000