As the saying goes, to everything that has a beginning there surely will be an end!
This was the thought that ran through my mind as I hit the submit button to turn in my dissertation in fulfilment of my academic conditions, in order to be awarded a Masters degree in Environmental Change and International Development.
Soon after submitting my thesis, I began to reflect on several situations, and how I have been able to come this far.
Reminiscing on why I choose to study my course and why I chose the University of Sheffield, my lived experience and career trajectory already helped me define the type of course that would enhance the scope of my impact. Thus, having engaged both professionally and in a voluntary capacity to implement development programmes in my home country, I was convinced that a master’s in development studies would be an invaluable learning experience that resonated with my own passions and professional goals.
As I recall during my initial search for universities, the main thing that stood out for me was the discovery that Russell Group universities are renowned for industry-leading research, complemented by state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to support students' learning. This ticked the necessary boxes for me, but to crown it all, the funding opportunity that the University of Sheffield had to offer was as equally a strong motivating factor. I would not have been able to afford a master’s degree from a global top 100 university without funding. At first, I doubted my ability to obtain the highly coveted University of Sheffield Africa Scholarship (USAS). In fact, to think that only one candidate is awarded the scholarship from as large a continent as Africa added to my worries. Nevertheless, that fear did not deter me from putting my best foot forward. Thankfully, not only did I receive an unconditional offer to study at Sheffield, I was subsequently awarded the scholarship too.
This past year has been outstanding, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay so far in the cosy city of Sheffield. I have met and worked with people from different nationalities, volunteered with different organisations, attended events in different cities throughout the UK, and more importantly, acquired supplementary certifications in addition to my masters. The state-of-the-art library also stood out for me. The Information Commons, popularly referred to as the IC, was my favourite library and I always enjoyed my time there.
Another interesting thing about my master’s program is that students can tailor virtually all of their coursework to their area of interest in international development. For me, despite arriving late, I was very picky with my module selection and assessment topics. I always found a way of focusing my research in areas that are of professional interest to me. Having worked in fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) contexts; interventions on disaster management, peacebuilding, sustainable livelihoods, food security, community health, and participatory governance to ‘build back better’ were of particular interest to me. I must say, my tutors granted me the flexibility to explore all of these areas. Some of my research has been focused on the critical role of humanitarian logistics in disaster management, with the 2015 earthquake in Nepal as a primary focus. The sustainable management of solid waste in urban areas, dietary changes, and food insecurity challenges in conflict zones are amongst the other areas of my research.
As part of my master’s studies, I was keenly anticipating traveling to Nepal and Rwanda for data collection. Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the cancellation of my class field trip to Nepal and my placement with Search for Common Ground in Rwanda. As you can imagine, this was one experience that I struggled to come to terms with, as I was truly looking forward to the opportunity of conducting research in these countries. However, I was impressed by the proactive steps that were taken by my department, which saw both components of my field-class and placement take a unique and innovative turn.
Whilst all of this was occurring something struck me, and it remains a fact that I feel grateful for. Following a telephone conversation with a peer whose study and graduation date was negatively affected by the lockdown measures which were necessitated by the pandemic, I learned that there were ‘inadequate resources’ to efficiently scale up digital learning in his country. I did some research as to why certain countries are enormously endowed with abundant resources, yet struggle to develop at pace. What are the issues and what could be done better in order to promote sustainable development in such a region? Alas, this made me momentarily pause to reflect on how privileged I was to have the opportunity to study at a world-class institution. Now more than ever, I feel compelled to use my experiences, newly acquired skills, and networks in order to support the implementation of social interventions that resonate with my passion for promoting development in whatever capacity possible.
Overall, I acknowledge the crucial role that USAS played by awarding the scholarship that made this feat possible. I can fervently attest that studying at the University of Sheffield has equipped me with the knowledge and skillset to contribute to global development. I look forward to witnessing all that the great minds of the class of 2020 are set to achieve.
Follow Akaninyene on Twitter at @AAEmanuel1.
