Motivation
February 2003
Why do I want to study physics in Nairobi and why with the Berlin-Nairobi
Exchange?
What a question! Why spend a whole year in Kenya? I don't think anybody
would ask a question like: What am I going to do there?" I am so pleased that
this very programme exists and that young people studying physics in Berlin
are offered such a marvellous opportunity.
Being allowed to study in a foreign country means that a student may look
beyond the borders of his or her local faculty and its methods and ways
of teaching. The view of one's home country can thereby be refined because
of the possibility to look at one's home country from a completely new perspective
which could not be found within one's home country. How could I
judge on how well I was taught or how good the teaching is in Berlin without
having a reasonable comparison. Especially Nairobi, with its renowned university,
and being in a country so distant from mine concerning culture, its history
and ways of living, offers the best opportunities for obtaining such an
outside view of Germany.
Of course, I am aware of the fact that living in Kenya represents new challenges.
Former participants of this exchange have stated some very adventurous experiences
during their stay. The administration and the organisational structure of
the University of Nairobi seems very different which a student from Germany
is clearly not used to and therefore faces problems he or she would not
have in Germany. However, these differences reflect the differences in the
culture and the people of both countries. I do not see these differences
as problems but as challenges. Facing them will give me a chance to improve
my understanding of the world and it's peoples.
The University of Nairobi offers a great variety of courses, some of
which are never offered at my university in Berlin. I am thinking of attending
some of these lectures, for instance “History and Philosophy of Physics”.
The teaching of physics at the University of Nairobi is organised differently
than at German universities. This will help me to see different aspects
of the subject physics and assist me in having a look beyond the horizons
of our local faculty. I am strongly convinced, that there is still a lot
to learn which might also help to improve methodology and didactics, organisation
and practise of teaching physics in Germany.
Surely, I will not miss the opportunity to get to know Kenya and Nairobi
in my spare time, when I will not be occupied with my studies. The major
differences to Germany in nature, everyday life, and culture are simply too
significant as not to be explored. This might be the first and also the last
possibility for me to examine a country in such depth, far away from the
routes a tourist would take. While I was taking part in another DAAD project
in Kiev for 6 weeks, I noticed that there might be no better way to obtain
a deeper understanding of a different country than by taking part in an exchange.
I am terribly excited about all the new experiences I would be making in
one complete year in a completely different world.
Marko Förstel,
February 2003