UCU East Africa 2025 - Call For Applications

The UCU East Africa program is an international experiential learning program that brings students to East Africa each year to reflect and learn from leaders, local lectures and communities in the region.

What is the program?

The program aims to introduce students to a wide range of theories and issues relevant to critical development studies, global political economy, environmental justice, postcolonialism, decolonization and critical African studies. The program adopts a ‘transformative learning’ approach, seeking to stimulate personal growth and challenge popular stereotypes, assumptions and biases about ‘Africa’ and ‘development’. It aims to foster new perspectives, lateral thinking and critical self-reflection, strengthening the ‘global citizenship’ that may improve today’s world and global relations. The program seeks to inspire tomorrow’s global leaders and citizens, whether those working directly in fields of international development and relations, or those in other fields implicated by globalization, including global business ventures and relations. The goal is to build a more equitable, inclusive and diverse world.

It is taught by a team of UCU, Kenyan and Tanzania teachers, including a wide range of guest contributors from the two countries.

For this program, students will travel to Kenya and Tanzania.

For more information on the program please see the program booklet or the UCU website below:

Program booklet
UCU Website

For who?

All second and third year Bachelor students at UU are invited to apply! The program is interdisciplinary so students from any background are welcome. Typically, we hope students have completed a decent range of classes from various fields/disciplines so as to demonstrate some level of interdisciplinarity. Our selection criteria, though, is less focused on theoretical backgrounds and, more so, focused on motivation, character, cultural intelligence and a sincere commitment to self-reflexive learning. The program aims to nurture ‘global citizens’ of all types and backgrounds.

Key information

Parts

  • Part One (January-May): Preparatory course at UCU (UCINTDEV21)
  • Part Two (June): Summer Field Course in Keyna & Tanzania (UCINTDEV31)
  • Part Three (July-August): Six-Week Summer Internship

Application Deadline.

The deadline for UCU East Africa 2025 is November 15. A link to the application is available on the website (see “Application Procedure” within the drop-down section entitled, For VISITING (NON-UCU) STUDENTS: Application & practical information)

Contact

For questions or clarifications, please contact: Corey Wright (Program Director) v.c.wright@uu.nl or Maren Schneider (Administrator) ucu.inafrica@uu.nl