Admission requirements
In order to be admitted to the Embedded Research Project, students need a fully approved research proposal.
This course is a compulsory element of the MA African Studies and only open to students that have been admitted to this programme.
Description
Students do a 10-week research project in an African country or in an Africa-related context elsewhere. Students will be embedded in a societal organization working in or on Africa and do empirical, academic research on a topic of mutual interest that will directly feed into their Master’s thesis. The research project is based on sound theory and methodology and concerns a research question that is mutually identified and agreed upon by the student and the host organization. Host organizations can be NGOs, CBOs, local or central government agencies, media, art or business agencies, as well as academic institutes or think tanks. To further strengthen the embeddedness, students will write an additional policy brief or a position paper for the host organization that is linked to their thesis research findings.
In the preparation trajectory of the embedded research project, students will write a research proposal under the supervision of an academic supervisor in the ASCL or in Leiden University, and in consultation with the organization supervisor. Students are moreover guided in the Africa in Practice course, including their other preparations for arranging their research.
Students may choose their academic supervisor from a list that is shared at the start of the academic year, based on the student’s research and/or regional interests and the academic supervisor’s availability. The academic supervisor will be primarily responsible for:
the supervision of the research proposal writing;
providing support to the student in finding an embedded research position, e.g. by linking students to one’s academic and practitioners’ network;
maintaining regular contact with the student and the organization supervisor during the data collection/research period;
supervising the student in thesis writing;
grading the thesis.
Students have two main options to engage with an organization: 1) through the network of the academic supervisor; 2) through NIMAR (Morocco) and established Leiden University/ASCL partnerships with African universities, e.g. South Eastern Kenya University (Kenya). In rare cases, students can follow their own preferred organisation in consultation with the academic supervisor. This will demand significant extra time investments of the student and the supervisor, and students should be aware of this. In all cases, students are bound by Leiden University regulations for traveling abroad, including the travel advices issued by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The research proposal needs prior approval of the academic supervisor, the organization supervisor, and the Africa in Practice course coordinator. The approved research proposal must have been marginally reviewed by the International Office of the Humanities Faculty, Leiden University. Students with a fully approved research proposal can apply for, and are entitled to, financial support from Leiden University through a Uhlenbeck scholarship and a Lustra+ scholarship.
The course coordinator of the ‘Embedded Research Project’ acts as a contact person for students and supervisors.
Course objectives
By the end of the course, students have:
executed a phased and multi-disciplinary research proposal, including adapting it if conditions ask for this;
built experience in doing academic and empricial research with a professional organization that works on or in Africa;
have become acquainted with working with academic and/or non-academic stakeholders;
sharpened their critical thinking on Africa-related issues;
constructed a quantitative and/or qualitative empirical data sets;
practiced empirical research methods and skills;
practiced intercultural and reflexive skills;
developed preliminary analyses and reflecting on preliminary outcomes while going through the research cycle;
written a policy brief or position paper for the host organization.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Research
Assessment method
The academic supervisor determines the final mark for the embedded research project in close consultation with the organization supervisor. The assessment is based on four components:
1. The content and quality of the final research proposal;
2. A policy brief or position paper by the student to the host organization that is linked to the thesis research findings;
3. The student’s performance during the embedded research project;
4. The student’s communication before, during and after the embedded research project with the academic supervisor and organization supervisor.
Weighting:
1 = 50%
2 = 50%
3 and 4 = PASS
Assessment
Weighting
To complete the final mark, please take notice of the following:
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Not applicable.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of À la carte education (without taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal Reuvensplaats Huizinga De Vrieshof
Student Affairs Office for BA International Studies