Dr. Jean-Claude Munyaka Baraka is a Research Collaborator at the Urban and Regional Planning Community (CEAT) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). A citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Munyaka holds a Doctorate in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and earned his Master's degree with Cum Laude in the same field from the Durban University of Technology, South Africa.
His interdisciplinary expertise spans transport modelling, logistics, supply chain systems, and urban planning. In addition to his academic research, Dr. Munyaka has coordinated multiple international projects focused on participatory GIS, digital innovation, and climate-resilient mobility solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. He has also authored publications on lean manufacturing, simulation modelling, and multi-criteria decision-making in urban systems.

Year: 2022 to 2023Amount: CHF 60'000
Location: Rwanda and Zambia; Partners: University of Rwanda, University of Zambia; Funder: Leading House Funding SwissTPH; Main project features: Workshop on Cycling (link) and Research articles (Link 1, Link 2); Positions held: Project Coordinator; Activities performed:
Urban and Regional planning and Modelling.

Year: 2022 to 2023; Amount: CHF 330'000; Location:
Kenya and Nepal; Partners: CEAT EPFL, Nepal Flying Labs (NFL) and World Bicycle Relief (WBR); Funder:
Tech4Dev; Main project features:
Participatory GIS (PGIS) Manual, USAFIRI Toolkit (Link), Research Articles (Link 1, Link 2); Positions held:
Project Coordinator; Activities performed:
Urban and Regional planning.

Year: 2024 to 2025; Amount: CHF 40'000 (Prototyping Phase); Location:
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Partners: CEAT EPFL, Red Cross DRC, UM6P, University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN); Funder:
Tech4Dev; Main project features:
Platform development for the Prototype (link); Positions held:
Project Coordinator; Activities performed:
Urban and Regional planning.

Year: 2023 to 2026; Amount: CHF 800'000; Location:
Senegal; Partners: CEAT EPFL, Université Gaston Berger (UGB), Institut Supérieur Polytechnique (ESP); Funder: Botnar Foundation; Main project features:
Workshop Saint-Louis (Link), Research Articles (Link);
Positions held:
Project Coordinator; Activities performed:
Digital and Youth.

Year: 2022 to 2023; Amount: CHF 10'000; Location:
Maroc; Partners: CEAT EPFL and UIR of Rabat; Funder:
HES-SO; Main project features:
Round Table on "Migrations and Urban Spaces in Moroccan Cities" (link), Symposium on Cities, Migration and Urban Integration (Link), Special Issues (Link);
Positions held:
Project Coordinator; Activities performed:
Urban and Regional planning.

Year: 2023 to 2024; Amount: CHF 50'000Location: Kenya and Zimbabwe; Partners: Pokot Women Empowerment Organization (Poweo), University of Zimbabwe; Funder: Collaborative Research Science and Society (CROSS); Main project features: Dissemination Workshop (Link 1, Link 2) and Research articles (Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4, Link 5); Positions held: Project Coordinator; Activities performed:
Urban and Regional planning and Modelling.