24 Jul Why choose Uganda for Development Studies field work?
When it comes to applying theory, nothing beats taking students beyond the classroom to experience real world situations and explore topics at first hand.
At Venture Uganda, we have years of experience in offering academic services including the provision of field work at undergraduate and post-graduate level.
Enrich understanding with Development Studies field work in Uganda
For the academic disciplines of Development Studies, International Development, Global Development and Sustainability, Geography and Environmental Management, Uganda offers many interesting opportunities.
Lesley Harris, co-founder of Venture Uganda, has a Master’s degree in Development Studies from The University of Manchester. Now based in Kampala, she and the Venture team run field courses for many universities and create real-world learning opportunities to enrich students’ understanding.
Lesley says: “Many students will not have experienced a developing country first hand and our field courses are a chance to apply theory to practice.
“Many of the modules we deliver in the field are top-rated by students, who appreciate the opportunity to gain deeper insights into Uganda and some of the challenges that are faced here.”
Thanks to the Venture Uganda team’s network of local and national contacts, they are able to create a bespoke itinerary to meet the requirements of individual courses providing expert talks, site visits, data collection activities and opportunities to interact with local universities.
Academic support
We work closely with course leaders, using our local knowledge, to ensure a safe, well-organised visit. We make all the in-country arrangements and, in doing so, relieve the pressure on staff.
We also provide professional research support services to visiting researchers, research teams and projects.
Dr Julia Brown, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of Portsmouth, has been taking groups of undergraduate students on field trips to Uganda since 2014, with the support of our team.
Dr Brown, who specialises in water management and distribution, runs an undergraduate module called Environment and Development.
She says: “I’ve known Lesley for a long time, and I always refer to her as my fixer in Uganda. As an academic, you can have quite niche interests and specific requirements, and Lesley has always been able to organise some amazing opportunities for both myself and undergraduates.
“When we run field trips to Uganda, we receive excellent feedback from students, who find the whole experience exciting and interesting.
“Venture Uganda provides us with a service on the ground that we couldn’t possibly have organised from the UK.”
If you would like to discover more about our academic support services for universities, email us at enquiries@ventureuganda.org or fill out our enquiry form.