Undergraduate student field course in Kenya
Dr Christopher Schulz and Dr Kate Fredricks have returned from the SD3103 – Field Course for Sustainable Development – East Africa, which took place in Nanyuki, Kenya, in collaboration with colleagues and students from the University of Bonn (led by Prof Detlef Müller-Mahn), the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University (led by Dr Eric Kioko) over two weeks in July and August.
One group of students investigated inequalities in water access, conflicts about water, and colonial legacies in the current water governance regime of Laikipia County. A second group of students conducted critical research on the impacts of eco-tourism and environmental conservation on local sustainable development, concluding that ‘eco-tourism is a lie’, but that it can provide some opportunities for employment and local economic development. Both groups presented their findings to colleagues from Bonn and Kenya as well as local partners from the Centre for Training and Integrated Research in Arid and semi-arid landscape Development (CETRAD), receiving considerable praise.
Students were extremely enthusiastic about the module, reporting that it built their confidence conducting independent research in unfamiliar environments, provided valuable employability skills and that the prolonged in-person groupwork allowed them to support one another and form lifelong friendships. Students were particularly grateful for the ‘unique opportunity for learning in, rather than about the Global South, that had been missing in the curriculum,' emphasizing the impact of engaging in discussions and realities about sustainable development beyond readings and lectures. Students are keen to share their findings via the Irvine Atlas and are hopeful that the module can continue to run, as they feel it would be a very popular option for current and prospective SD students.
Kate and Christopher are also especially grateful to Dr Boniface Kiteme, director of CETRAD in Nanyuki for the excellent collaboration during this field course.
