UCU East Africa

The program was designed in 2007 by a group of scholars, development practitioners and activists from Kenya, Tanzania and Utrecht University – each of whom have long histories in East Africa and/or call this region ‘home’.  Since 2007, the program continues to collaborate each year with scholars, practitioners and communities in East Africa, bringing students to the region for immersive learning and exchange.

Why East Africa?

The program builds on many years of experience and deep relationships that the founding & organizing team have with communities throughout this region of East Africa, especially in Kenya and Tanzania. Every community and place visited in the program includes many years and deep histories of relationships, fostered via the work of various program founders, coordinators and teachers. Students only visit and spend time in wholly ‘invited spaces’, wherein communities and leaders have histories with the program and want to host, teach and collaborate with visiting students. Such invitations, relationships and histories are fundamental to the ethics and considerations of such an international program. We aim to mitigate adverse power relations and challenge asymmetries, which can sometimes limit, and/or even make harmful, some international learning programs (especially in ‘Africa’). We approach everything with utmost care and critical attention to power.

Several hundred students, including students from East Africa, have completed and benefited from the program through the years. Many alumni are now in leadership positions (in East Africa, Europe and elsewhere) in governments, foreign ministries, diplomatic missions, development & aid organizations, international businesses, global businesses and so on. The program continues to be founded on principles and aims of ‘global citizenship’, hopefully contributing, at least in small part, to a more just world.

Why?

The UCU East Africa program seeks to prepare students to meaningfully inhabit and engage the global world we find ourselves in. It was developed in response to students’ desire for more experiential learning beyond the classroom, community engagement and the dream of contributing to making the world a better place. As one of the program’s faculty likes to say, “It’s all about growing up and showing up differently” (Gerard van der Ree, Assistant Professor in Political Science, UCU). Put another way, it’s about unlearning and relearning how to be in, and engage effectively, today’s world.

Who is it for?

The program is intended for students in their later phases of undergraduate education. At UCU, second and third year students are prioritized in the selection process, although first year students are also sometimes accepted under special circumstances. Participants are selected based on their genuine interest in global inequality, international development issues, interdisciplinary and cross-cultural interests, their emotional maturity, cultural intelligence and commitment to self-reflexivity. Humility and a commitment to self-reflexivity and transformative growth are some key criteria.  

While originally the program was designed for those interested in pursuing careers in international development, it has expanded much beyond this. The program alumni have pursued careers at home and internationally, in fields as broad as social work, urban planning, business and marketing, international relations, development and diplomacy. The find themselves in the smallest community organizations, environmental activist movements, to the largest international businesses, foreign ministries and United Nation offices. In every case, alumni look back positively at, and carry with them, the once-in-a-lifetime transformative learning experience of the UCU East Africa program.

Overall, the program intends to expose students to global diversity, connections and challenges, inspiring principles of global citizenship. Subsequently, it is relevant to everyone, irrespective of specific interests, or career hopes, in international development. Our world is global and comprised of incredible difference and diversity, privilege, marginality, power asymmetries and inequality. The UCU East Africa program equips students to engage all this, whether in their own communities, on their campuses, in their future offices, businesses, and so on.

The program is interdisciplinary in nature:  students admitted into the program come from all different academic backgrounds. For example, they can be students in the medical track with an ambition to work in public health, or students of performing arts, interested in community theater as a medium of facilitating social change. Social science students aiming to understand structural violences and the roots of inequality. They can be economics students interested in micro-finance or international finance, or natural science students dedicated to sustainable development and safe-guarding environment. Every challenge that is engaged in the program is confronted via an interdisciplinary lens, where each student brings their unique point of view.

The program is designed to fulfill three parts and stages of learning & engagement, beginning every January and extending through to the end of August.

Part I: Preparatory learning and critical self-reflexivity (Spring Semester/January-May)

UCU Students

UCU students are expected to complete UCINTDEV21 The Theory & Practice of International Development (7.5 ECTS). This course covers a range of topics and foci associated with critical development studies, postcolonial studies, African studies and decolonization. Students are also introduced to anti-racism studies and approaches, beginning their own self-reflexive journeys via reflect journaling. The aim is to prepare students theoretically, and also personally, for engagements and learning in East Africa. Part of the foundational ethics of the program is to ensure students arrive in East Africa as critically aware and self-reflexive learners.

Visiting (non-UCU) students

Visiting (non-UCU) students, who are not able to participate in UCINTDEV21 at UCU (for geographical or other reasons), are expected to complete a range of required readings and journalling exercises as part of their individual preparations. This will be completed on an independent and voluntary basis and will include some virtual meetings with the program Director. The required readings and activities have the same aims as UCU’s preparatory course: preparing students with some general introduction to critical development studies, postcolonial studies, African studies, anti-racism and critical self-reflexivity. Students must submit a reflective paper in May, prior to joining the field course.

It is important to note that, in preparation for the field course and engagements in East Africa, the importance of nurturing some academic/theoretical understanding of the aforementioned topics, while also fostering critical self-reflexivity (especially in reference to race and other intersections of power and positionalities), cannot be understated. It is fundamental to the ethics of such a program like this, which invariably becomes entangled in complex power relations, positionalities and colonial histories in East Africa. All students are expected to respect this and prepare themselves accordingly.

Part II: Immersive and experiential learning course in Kenya & Tanzania (aka “the field course”).

At the beginning of June each year (e.g. usually by June 4 or thereabouts), all the program students meet in Nairobi, Kenya to begin a four-week learning journey through Kenya and Tanzania. All the students are registered in the UCU course, UCINTDEV31 Topics and Methods in Development Research in East Africa (7.5 ECTS).

The ‘field course’ visits five different geographical sites, including the urban context of Nairobi; rural community conservation areas of Amboseli, southern Kenya; rural pastoralism and dryland areas of Sinya, northern Tanzania; small-scale farming communities of Mount Meru in Tanzania; and, lastly, the coastal area and fishing communities of Bagamoyo, Tanzania. The course aims to explore development issues, challenges and sustainable livelihoods in each of these very different sites and spaces.

Students live together in tented base camps throughout the course duration (see photo). Each day of the program comprises community engaged learning opportunities as well as more conventional class sessions to critically reflect on each days’ experiences. Two short homestays are included in the course so as to enrich student experience and learning exchange.

Each program site introduces different burning issues, foci and ‘development dilemmas’. Topics range from international diplomacy, development aid, decolonization, economic development, NGOization, fair trade, urbanization, informal settlements, wildlife biology, community conservation, global tourism, indigenous livelihoods, climate change, dryland ecology, land displacements, agricultural science and new technologies, religion, education, health, human rights, marine conservation, colonial histories and legacies. Each year, some topics shift based on the interests and directions of the host communities and leaders.

All UCU students are expected to fulfill all three parts of the program (see more description of these parts in the prior section):

UCINTDEV21 (7.5 ECTS). Spring Semester on UCU Campus

UCINTDEV31 (7.5 ECTS). Field course (in June) in Kenya & Tanzania

UC/ACC/SSC/HUM/SCIINT21 (7.5 ECTS). Academic internship in East Africa

All of the above three parts are mandatory. However, some exceptions are made pertaining to the internship requirements for students who are unable to fulfill it. Students are encouraged to reach out to the program administrator or director if they anticipate not being able to fulfill the internship. This must be identified in the application.

Application Procedure

Deadline: Friday 15 November 2024

UCU students apply to the program by pre-enrolling in UCINTDEV21 via the OSIRIS course pre-enrolment procedure. Your tutor can advise you on this. The deadline for enrolling is November 15. Please note that when applying for the course, you will need to apply for course admittance via OSIRIS Case, before the first course pre-enrolment deadline of 15 November. See here for instructions: https://students.uu.nl/en/university-college-utrecht/organise-your-studies/curriculum-requests

Via the course admittance case (go to Osiris Student under Cases -> Curriculum Matters -> “Course Admittance”), you must upload the following, which will be reviewed in the selection process:  

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

This should be a professionally compiled CV that outlines education history, relevant professional history (if completed), volunteering history, participation/membership in groups or associations, etc. etc.

1. Letter of Motivation (max 500 words):

• Reason for wanting to join the program
• Previous relevant experience, including any international or engaging difference
• Your interest in development issues and global inequality
• How the program would contribute to your personal career or academic trajectory

Timeline & deadlines

October. Program promotion & recruitment

November. Applications are submitted

DEADLINE: Friday, 15^th of November 2024. As described above, students are required to apply to the program via Osiris pre-enrollment procedures for UCINTDEV21.

November-December. Selection, interviews & invitations

Application review & interviews conducted through November. Typically, not all applicants are interviewed but many applicants will be asked to join a virtual or in-person meeting to clarify any questions about their history, interests, etc.

December. Announcements, acceptance, confirmation & orientation

• Final acceptance decisions announced by December 6 2024
• Student Confirmation. Students are expected to confirm within a week after acceptance, December 13 2024
• Orientation & Introduction Meeting in December. Before the December break, a meeting is usually held to welcome and introduce students.

December-January. Preparatory reading

• Students are expected to read Africa Is Not A Country: Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa during their December-January break, as an orientation and preparation for UCINTDEV21. Reflection papers are submitted during the first week of DEV21

January-May. Spring Semester. UCINTDEV21

June. Summer Semester. UCINTDEV31

• All students arrive in Nairobi, Kenya and UCINTDEV31 (the field course) begins. The field course typically begins during the first week of June (e.g. often around June 4). It proceeds through to the end of June, concluding in the coastal region of Tanzania. Students then typically take a few days in Zanzibar (or elsewhere) to relax, recuperate and get ready for their internship.

July-August. Internships

• Internships begin in first week of July and proceed through six weeks of July-August. Students typically complete their internships by the middle of, or third week of, August, in time to return to UCU and/or proceed on to next stages (e.g. Master’s degrees, work, time with family, etc)

End August. Internship reports and reflections submitted

• Final Research & Reflection Internship Reports and Papers are submitted by end August.

Program Costs

Based on past experiences, UCU students are advised to expect to spend about €4000-6000 in total for the whole program.

Required and expected costs are as follows:

1. International Travel. Approx. €1000-1500 Euro

• RT Flights (to and from Nairobi): approx. €800-1000 Euro
• Vaccination & medication: approx. €100-200 Euro
• Visas: approx. €100-150 Euro
• Travel & health insurance. This is up to students to determine, based on their existing health plans and provisions.

1. Field Program Tuition. €2500 Euro

The field course contribution is paid in two or three instalments throughout the springtime, so as to spread out these costs and, hopefully, alleviate some pressure on students.

The tuition cost can be broken down as follows:

1. €2,250 Material costs during the field course (DEV31)

This payment aims to cover food, transportation, tents, camping fees, activities, lectures, homestays, and other field course costs. Essentially, all your costs during June are covered, except for personal day-to-day purchases. UCU subsidizes many of the UCU EA program (including all the core costs of teaching and administration) but students are required to contribute to the field course's everyday material costs for their four week travel and learning in Kenya & Tanzania.

1. €250 Indirect & research activity costs for internship

The program remains committed to ensure that partners/internship host organizations do not bear significant costs for hosting students and their activities during internships. Subsequently, €250 euro is contributed per student to our partner organizations to offset the direct and indirect cost of hosting students. This money, in large part, is used by partners to help facilitate research and learning activities for students.

1. Internship transport and living costs.

Students are required to cover their own transport, living and subsistence costs pertaining to their internship. Of course, these costs will vary significantly, depending on where the internship is conducted – e.g. transportation to, living and subsisting in Nairobi or Addis Ababa is more costly than a rural community in Tanzania or Kenya. Students are encouraged to consider this when they identify their internship preferences every February.

The follow tries to illustrate the range of possible costs that students have required in recent years:

• Transport: transport to the internship location (from Bagamoyo or Zanzibar, where the field course concludes) can range from €0 to €300 euro (e.g. the latter refers to flights to Ethiopia or Uganda)
  • Daily accommodation during internships ranges from €10-15 euro daily
  • Daily Subsistence (e.g. food) during the internship ranges from €5-15 euro per day. Of course, this varies a lot depending on internship location and student choices.
  • Recreation & entertainment. Some students want to do trips and other activities. Of course, these costs can add up and will greatly depend on student capacity and interests.

All visiting (non-UCU) students are expected to fulfill all three parts of the program, as described above in the prior section:

Part I: Preparatory Learning & self-reflexivity

Given geographical barriers and limitations, the UCU East Africa program waives the DEV21 requirement for visiting (non-UCU) students. Visiting (non-UCU) students are encouraged and welcome to join the DEV21 course, but this requires physical presence on UCU campus (Wednesdays 15:45-17:30 and Fridays 13:45-15:30) through the Spring Semester (Jan-May).

As an alternative to DEV21, a list of independent reading and journaling activities will be designated by the program Director. These will be completed on a voluntary basis. Additionally, students will be expected to join a few virtual meetings with the Director in February and April each year. All students must submit a final reflection paper in May, prior to joining the field course. Sadly, none of this work will be formally registered or accredited. Nevertheless, the importance of it, in relation to the ethics and values of the East Africa program, are essential.

For visiting (non-UCU) students in the Netherlands, there may be some joint events at UCU campus in February and April. All program students are encouraged to join these so as to build relations with the rest of the program students.

Part II: UCINTDEV31 (7.5 ECTS). The ‘Field Course’ in Kenya and Tanzania

At the beginning of June each year (e.g. usually by June 4 or thereabouts), all the program students meet in Nairobi, Kenya to begin a four-week learning journey through Kenya and Tanzania. All the students are registered in UCINTDEV31, Topics and Methods in Development Research in East Africa (7.5 ECTS).

For this part of the program visiting students will be formally registered as ‘visiting students’ at UCU and receive 7.5 ECTS for completion of the field course. UCU will issue visiting students official transcripts reflecting their achievement. If any visiting students want to officially transfer these credits, this is the sole responsibility of the student to organize and coordinate.

Part III: Internships in East Africa UC/ACC/SSC/HUM/SCIINT21/UCSSCINT21 (7.5 ECTS) (optional)

The internship requirement is optional for visiting (non-UCU) students. Visiting (non-UCU) students are encouraged to consider this component, as it greatly enriches students’ learning and experience. However, the program leadership recognizes that fulfilling the internship requirement may be logistically complicated for visiting (non-UCU) students, so it is not mandatory. All visiting (non-UCU) students will be required to identify whether they will complete, or not complete, the internship component in their application to the program in November.

For those visiting (non-UCU) students who will complete an internship, they will be formally registered at UCU for the internship and receive 7.5 ECTS for completion of the field course. UCU will issue visiting students official transcripts reflecting this achievement. If any visiting students want to officially transfer these credits, this is the sole responsibility of the student to organize and coordinate.

Application Procedure

Deadline: Friday 15 November 2024

Visiting (non-UCU) students should submit an email to the UCU East Africa program team (ucu.inafrica@uu.nl) by the end of October or beginning of November, in order to announce their intention to apply to the program.

By Friday November 15 2024, all students must complete the following application on Form Desk:

https://forms.uu.nl/universiteitutrecht-ucu/UCU_East_Africa_Applications_2025_Non-UCU

Please note that in the above application you are required to submit the following, which will be reviewed in the selection process: 

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

This should be a professionally compiled CV that outlines education history, relevant professional history (if completed), volunteering history, participation/membership in groups or associations, etc. etc.

1. Letter of Motivation (max 500 words):
   • Reason for wanting to join the program
   • Previous relevant experience, including any international or engaging difference
   • Your interest in development issues and global inequality
   • How the program would contribute to your personal career or academic trajectory

Program timeline & deadlines

October. Program promotion & recruitment

November. Applications are submitted

DEADLINE: Friday, 15^th of November 2024.

https://forms.uu.nl/universiteitutrecht-ucu/UCU_East_Africa_Applications_2025_Non-UCU

November-December. Selection, interviews & invitations

Application review & interviews conducted through November. Typically, not all applicants are interviewed but many applicants will be asked to join a virtual or in-person meeting to clarify any questions about their history, interests, etc.

December. Announcements, acceptance, confirmation & orientation

• Final acceptance decisions announced by December 6 2024
• Student Confirmation. Students are expected to confirm within a week after acceptance, December 13 2024

December-January. Preparatory reading begins

• All program students are expected to read Africa Is Not A Country: Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa during their December-January break

January-May.

• Visiting (non-UCU) students are required to read a list of designated readings associated with critical development studies and African studies. These will be determined in January. In addition to these readings, it is worth noting that all program students are required to read Me & White Supremacy by Layla Saad and maintain a Reflection Journal accordingly.

June. Summer Semester. UCINTDEV31

• All students arrive in Nairobi, Kenya and UCINTDEV31 (the field course) begins. The field course typically begins during the first week of June (e.g. often around June 4). It proceeds through to the end of June, concluding in the coastal region of Tanzania. Students then typically take a few days in Zanzibar (or elsewhere) to relax, recuperate and get ready for their internship and/or departure home.

July-August. Internships (optional for visiting non-UCU students)

• For visiting (non-UCU) students who plan to complete an internship, these begin in first week of July and proceed through six weeks of July-August. Students typically complete their internships by the middle of, or third week of, August, in time to return to their home universities and/or proceed on to next stages (e.g. Master’s degrees, work, time with family, etc)

End August. Internship reports and reflections submitted

• For those completing internships, final research internship reports and reflection papers are submitted by end August.

Program Costs

Based on past experiences, visiting (non-UCU) students are advised to expect to spend anywhere from €4000-6000 in total for the whole program (depending on plans for internship).

Required and expected costs are as follows:

1. International Travel. Approx. €1000-1500 Euro

• RT Flights (to and from Nairobi): approx. €800-1000 Euro
• Vaccination & medication: approx. €100-200 Euro
• Visas: approx. €100-150 Euro

NOTE: the above costs are based on estimations from UCU students. For visiting (non-UCU) students, especially international students, this cost may be much higher. Students are encouraged to carefully research this so as to estimate costs well.

1. Travel, health & liability insurance.

• This cost is up to students to determine, based on their existing health plans and provisions. All students must have sufficient travel and health insurance.

• LIABILITY INSURANCE (mandatory). All visiting (non-UCU) students are required to have a minimum of €1 million euro coverage for private liability. This is a legal requirement stipulated by the Utrecht University for all visiting students. Students will be required to submit verification of this insurance, prior to joining the field course in East Africa.

1. Field Program Tuition. €2500 Euro

The field course contribution of €2500 is paid in two or three instalments throughout the Spring Semester (Jan-May), so as to spread out these costs and, hopefully, alleviate some pressure on students.

This payment aims to cover food, transportation, tents, camping fees, activities, lectures, homestays, and other field course costs. Essentially, all your costs during June are covered, except for personal day-to-day purchases. UCU subsidizes many of the UCU EA program (including all the core costs of teaching and administration) but students are required to contribute to the field course's everyday material costs for their four week travel and learning in Kenya & Tanzania.

1. Internship transport and living costs.

For those visiting (non-UCU) students who choose to do an internship, they are required to cover their own transport, living and subsistence costs pertaining to their internship. Of course, these costs will vary significantly, depending on where the internship is conducted – e.g. transportation to, living and subsisting in Nairobi or Addis Ababa is more costly than a rural community in Tanzania or Kenya. Students are encouraged to consider this when they identify their internship preferences every February.

The follow tries to illustrate the range of possible costs that students have required in recent years:

• Transport: transport to the internship location (from Bagamoyo or Zanzibar, where the field course concludes) can range from €0 to €300 euro (e.g. the latter refers to flights to Ethiopia or Uganda)
  • Daily accommodation during internships ranges from €10-15 euro daily
  • Daily Subsistence (e.g. food) during the internship ranges from €5-15 euro per day. Of course, this varies a lot depending on internship location and student choices.
  • Recreation & entertainment. Some students want to do trips and other activities. Of course, these costs can add up and will greatly depend on student capacity and interests. Visiting students must identify their intention to apply via email and complete an application form via FormDesk. Applications will include….

Students who have participated in the program say: 

“Immersing ourselves in Kenya and Tanzania allowed us to see things differently. Listening and learning from many different perspectives challenged any simplistic narratives about development and inequality. I will take such learning with me for the rest of my life. So many of the lessons learned are relevant to the world at large, not just East Africa.”

“I learned valuable lessons from my experience in the field. The UCU East Africa program allowed me to meet fascinating and extraordinary people. I also learned the value of nature and became committed to conservation. I learned  a number of things about myself, which I could only have discovered in difficult moments that put one to the test. This has been one of the most precious experiences I have ever had.”

“Originally, I wasn’t planning to join this program due to the concerns I’ve had about similar type programs at other universities or with many international agencies, especially voluntourism-type programs that often lack the care and attention to community needs and interests. The UCU East Africa program is different, though. There’s a long history with all the communities and organizations engaged and there are deep relationships of mutual care and respect. Our Kenyan and Tanzanian hosts welcomed us, led and facilitated our learning. I’m grateful and privileged to have been invited into these spaces and able to learn from all the leaders and communities.”

“The internship greatly complemented my education at University College Utrecht by providing a practical understanding of the various theoretical concepts concerning development I had studied. I learned a lot from what I saw, heard, and experienced. I am grateful for the opportunity as it was truly an unforgettable experience.”

“The internships enrich the otherwise course-based learning of the program. In the internships, I had the chance to build meaningful relationship with colleagues and learn from them each day. It offered me the opportunity to understand what the everyday life of development organizations looks like and the larger system of development these organizations depend on. For me, the internship was the most important addition to the program.”

Comments from host organizations on the work that the students carried out include the following:

“Our University College Utrecht interns delivered an in-depth research report. The document will be immensely useful in informing our advocacy and lobbying for durable solutions to the problems of internal displacement.”

“University College Utrecht produced a detailed report on food security at the household level. Their scientific approach towards food production and agricultural practices will help us identify workable solutions that will enable the community to be food secure.”

“The students managed to undertake an impressive amount of work during the relative short duration and produce a report that was clear, well organized and that provides a nuanced and well substantiated description of the key components of the program.”

“UCU always sends us excellent students. The students are more prepared due to the work they complete before they arrive. They come with positive attitudes. They come to learn and contribute wherever possible. They are humble, which is an important quality in this world of development.”

For more information, please email to: ucu.inafrica@uu.nl

The programme director is Dr V. Corey Wright, email: v.c.wright@uu.nl.

Maren Schneider contributes to the programme coordination and is the programme administrator; email: m.r.schneider@uu.nl

Students considering this programme should discuss the timing of it in their curriculum with their tutor.

For more information about the UCU East Africa programme you can check out the presentation from the 2024 info session (part 1, part 2).  Additionally, updates will be posted in the 'UCU East Africa 2025' Facebook group.