A Community for Integrated, Experiential Learning
Description
The Field Study in Africa Program draws on faculty members with research and teaching experience in East Africa and/or long experience in running field trips. This group is committed to the belief that studying in the field in East Africa will be one of the best educational experiences of your lifetime. The program will give you the opportunity to
- see a range of environmental and social conditions in one of the most beautiful, interesting and diverse countries in the world, Kenya
- meet people working in community development, wildlife management, environmental conservation
- be part of active research institutions in Kenya
- work in small groups with dedicated teachers from Canada and Kenya
- conduct your own research projects in natural science, social science or interdisciplinary areas
- visit some of the most remarkable archeological sites in the world
- experience game viewing in the some of the world's premier conservation areas
- travel from the shores of Lake Victoria to the reefs of the Indian Ocean and from the flanks of snow peaked Mt Kenya to the torrid base of the Rift Valley,
- meet Kenyans in their homes, villages, markets, cities and offices, and do it all while traveling in comfort and security, with a Canadian physician overseeing your medical care.
The program consists of a series of safaris between established research bases. Because the research stations have strong working relationships with the surrounding communities, we can ensure that our students have safe, informed and sustained access to the Kenyan landscape. This means that students can engage in real, field-based, research projects.
Structure
Research based: McGill's CFSIA is research based. Students will be expected to learn from reading, structured lectures, daily experience and special field activities, but they will also be expected to raise questions, develop workable plans for answering those questions, and work in the field to get results. Our goal in stressing the research focus is to engage students in dynamic, challenging, interactive learning.
Integrated with Kenya: Kenya is a focal point of innovation. It hosts Nobel Prize-winning community group leaders, outstanding universities and research centres, as well as the international headquarters of research, conservation, aid and development agencies. Our goal is to learn as much as we can from the people who are on the leading edge of innovation by working with them, in their communities, universities and institutions. We also want to learn from the average citizens of Kenya, through their local knowledge and insights.
Mobile and comprehensive: Kenya is a country of immense diversity and complexity. Our objective is to lay a foundation for a life time of learning; we therefore strive to expose students not only to a great range of geographic, ecologic, cultural, social and economic circumstances through travel around the country, but also to a great range of academic and intellectual perspectives by bringing many contributors into the classroom setting. Our goal is to give students a perspective that allows informed choices about "next steps" when they graduate from the program.
Safe and secure: All travel involves risks. McGill's CFSIA links with the best security information networks in the area, uses modern, well-maintained equipment, travels with a Canadian physician, partners with institutions with long histories of providing safe and secure academic settings, and follows thorough risk-management practices. We provide a safe platform from which to enter the Kenyan environment and help students develop a critical skill set that will help them manage risks when they later travel on their own.
Safrari Experience
A full educational experience in Kenya requires being away from urban areas where wildlife can be seen and where some of the cultural dimensions of development can be discussed. At two of the research field sites we will live the safari experience, and students can conduct research projects.
