Estimated Cost:Ìý$6500*
- Included: airfare, accommodations, meals, local transportation, travel and health insurance, lectures and activities, park entrance fees.
- Excluded: course and tuition fees, required vaccinations and physician consults, personal purchases such as souvenirs.
Course description
This three-credit hour course is an opportunity for students to study introductory topics in international development, with a focus on agriculture and rural development.
The objective of this course is to deepen the understanding of food security issues in the East African country of Kenya and link these to wider debates on agriculture and global sustainability, all while gaining applied development experience working with colleagues on the ground in Kenya.
- Topics may be defined by the individual student, a group of students, or faculty.Ìý
- The course is conducted by classes, tutorials, assignments, readings, and/or other appropriate activities.Ìý
- Students are encouraged to use international travel or study opportunities as a focus for the course, but this is not required.Ìý
- Topics must be supervised by a faculty member in the proposed area of interest and approved by the Department Head of Business and Social Science.Ìý
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Students must apply to the Department Head at least six weeks before the semester start date.
Why Kenya?
What is ÍøºìºÚÁÏ's interest in Kenya, and why have we created this course?
ÍøºìºÚÁÏ’s Faculty of Agriculture is committed to dedicating its strategic focus to addressing the significant challenges to local and global sustainability, food security and health and well-being in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.ÌýAchieving global food security while reducing negative environmental impacts is one of the most formidable challenges facing agriculture and rural communities. The Faculty of Agriculture seeks to work towards improving food security locally and globally through its teaching, research, and international partnerships. Key here is student international mobility, a top priority for the Faculty of Agriculture.
The International Office of the Faculty of Agriculture is currently developing a significant partnership with the Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Meru Region, Kenya. We have a large development project in progress, have successfully received funding to bring Kenyan students to Truro to study at Dal AC with the Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030, also known as the , and partnered with the MUST Faculty in the IAGR 3002 (DE) course in Winter 2023 through the COIL programme, and have previously sent a cohort of 7 students for the SPEC2001 course in August 2024. This had positive results from the on-line interchange between ÍøºìºÚÁÏ and MUST students and faculty on food security issues in Canada and Kenya.
One next step in partnership is to strengthen this special topics course which involves a capped trip of up to twelve ÍøºìºÚÁÏ students to the MUST campus where they would visit the university itself and surrounding projects and communities as per the learning outcomes of the course. It offers a hands-on, practical, and real-life component to experience internationalization activities and the discussion of in-depth food security systems, issues and solutions. The course would involve pre-departure sessions, a one-week orientation component, followed by a two-week visit to Kenya.
What you will learn
Activities can include:
- Visits to open-air markets
- Visits to smallholder and outgrower farms
- Visit to Kionyo Tea Factory
- Safaris in Nairobi and Meru National Parks
- Visits to Isiolo county and open-air pastoralist markets
- Visits to avocado and flower farms
Funding assistance
Students are invited to submit an application to the Study/Work International Fund (SWIF). SWIF was established by ÍøºìºÚÁÏ as part of the Student Assistance Program, SWIF provides financial assistance to ÍøºìºÚÁÏ and King's students who want to take part in an international field course or study abroad. There is a maximum award of $2,000 CAD per applicant. SWIF supports study, work, or practicum placements for which ÍøºìºÚÁÏ will give a degree credit.
Deadlines for submitting your funding application vary depending on the term of your international experience. Deadlines are as follows:
- Fall: September 30
- Winter: January 31
- Summer: May 31