Admission requirements
To start with the Embedded Research Project, students need a research proposal, which is approved by the Board of Examiners African Studies.
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 independent research project in an African country or in an Africa-related context elsewhere in which they apply the theoretical insights, key concepts, and research methods of at least two disciplines in African Studies (History, Political Science, Economics, Human Geography, Literature, Linguistics, and Anthropology) to independent research in African Studies They use relevant technical and cognitive skills to collect, select, and analyse empirical data and academic literature, to formulate (preliminary) answers to their research questions. To liaise with stakeholders of a different nature and enhance the ability to work in a cross-cultural environment, students will be embedded in a professional organization working in or on Africa and conduct empirical, academic research on a topic of mutual interest that will directly feed into their Master thesis. The individual research project is based on sound theory and methodology and addresses a research question that the student has developed under supervision of an academic supervisor and in consultation with the host organization. Host organizations can be NGOs, CBOs, local or central government agencies, media, art or business agencies, as well as research networks, academic institutes or think tanks. To further strengthen the embeddedness and to encourage students to present their academic findings to other professional domains outside academia, students write a position paper for the host organization upon their return. This position paper presents their preliminary findings, reflections and recommendations, and is linked to their thesis research findings. The research project also helps students to develop their professional project management skills, including communication, negotiation and motivation skills as well as planning, time management and structuring.
In the course ‘Framing Africa: Approaches and Methods’ (first semester) students will be further guided through the research proposal writing process and through the practicalities of organizing their embedded research project. Substantive input for the research proposal is furthermore provided in the courses ‘African History, Politics, Economy, and Geography’ and ‘Language, Literature, and Communication in Africa'. Students 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 (at least every two weeks on average) and the organization supervisor during the data collection/research period during the embedded research;
supervising the student in thesis writing after the embedded research project
grading the thesis.
Students have three main options to engage with an organization: 1) through the network of the academic supervisor; 2) participating in the Fieldschool Sea-ing Africa; 3) participating in the LDE Thesis Lab Nairobi. Students can follow their own preferred organisation in consultation with the academic supervisor, but they should be aware that this will demand significant extra time investments of the student and the supervisor. In all cases, students are bound by Leiden University regulations for traveling abroad, including the travel advice issued by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The latter implies that students are only allowed to travel to countries and regions that have color code ‘green’ or ‘yellow’.
The research proposal will be graded by the coordinators of the course ‘Framing Africa: Approaches and Methods’ and needs prior approval of the academic supervisor and the Board of Examiners of African Studies. Students with a graded and 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:
1. conducted independently a phased and multi-disciplinary empirical research as stipulated in their research proposal, including adapting it if conditions ask for it, in which they have applied the theoretical insights, key concepts, and research methods of at least two disciplines in African Studies (History, Political Science, Economics, Human Geography, Literature, Linguistics, and Anthropology).
2. built experience in doing academic and empirical research in a cross-cultural environment with a professional organization that works on or in Africa;
3. constructed a quantitative and/or qualitative empirical data set that can serve as an input for their Master thesis;
4. analyzed and reflected on preliminary outcomes while going through the research cycle;
5. practiced communication, intercultural, project management and reflexive skills, and was able to integrate feedback from supervisors.
6. presented preliminary findings and recommendations coherently and concisely in a position paper for the host organization.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Research
Assessment method
Active Participation in class
Paper
Assessment
The academic supervisor determines the final mark for the embedded research project in close consultation with the organization supervisor. The assessment is based on two components with equal weight:
1. Position paper to the host organization (50%). The content and quality of the position paper are assessed based on the applicable grading rubric. (Course objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 6)
2. Performance and communication (50%). The student’s performance and communication before, during and after the embedded research project with the academic supervisor and host supervisor are assessed based on the applicable grading rubric. (Course objectives 1, 2, 4, 5)
Both components must have been graded sufficiently, at least 5.5.
Weighting
To complete the final mark, please take notice of the following:
- Position paper to the host organization (50%).
- Performance and communication (50%).
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
A resit is offered for 1. Position paper to the host organization. It is not not possible to do a resit in the same year for 2. performance and communication. This part of the course can be redone the following year.
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.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Reuvensplaats
Remarks
Not applicable.