Further your physics studies in Nairobi

Good reasons to study in Nairobi

Academic benefits

The prejudice exists that physics students from African countries are seeking study and research opportunities in North America and Europe in order to escape from their disadvantageous situation in Africa.
This prejudice about physics in Africa is, however, only partly true and does not apply to all universities in all regions of Africa. Nairobi has several universities with different focuses and specialisation. Our main partner, the Jomo Kenyatta University for Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has e.g. a very strong solar cell research branch. JKUAT's lectures are of the same quality as the ones at University of Nairobi (UoN) where most of the former students went.
Because of the relatively high quality of the undergraduate courses at UoN and JKUAT, Kenyan students at the undergraduate level are not encouraged to study abroad and the limited finanical support is instead given to Kenyan students at the postgraduate level (master or PhD). Only at a postgraduate and research level universities in North America and Europe offer clearly better opportunities compared to UoN and JKUAT.
The German exchange students may chose from a range of lectures from various years / levels such that students from the following levels are able to benefit from the courses offered at JKUAT:

Students who want to go to Kenya just before the bachelor;
students who want to go to Kenya just after the bachelor and
students who still follow the olf "Diplom" curriculum and have just completed their Vordiplom.

An academic year at JKUAT which is well planned, ideally in cooperation with the Chairman on the Degree Committee (Vorsitzender des Prüfungsausschusses) of the home physics department, will certainly be academically worthwhile and should generally not delay the studies in Germany.
Some former participants did feel that some of the lectures in Nairobi were not as benefitial as expected. However, the written tests at the end of each semester were still very demanding. JKUAT follows the anglo-saxon teaching style which involves text book studying and memorizing to a larger extent than what is known from German universities. Also attendance in the lectures is mandatory! In Germany students rather lean back during the lectures, avoid text books and concentrate on the weekly problem sheets. Such weekly problem sheets are not very common at UoN and JKUAT, the focus is with the exams. Teaching methods are different from country to country.
Coming back to their German home University many former exchange students have to realize that the ECTS system might not work for them. This also happens to students who spent a year at Harvard or MIT. German university administrations still tend to believe that a certificate ("Schein") obtained from outside the local physics building is worth nothing. Upon your return you should try hard to get the certificates from Nairobi transfered to your home university. Sometimes you will have to be persistant. Talking to the dean or head of department always helps. If the administration of your home university is more persitant than you, you can propose a small oral exam to a lecturer from your home university you trust in order to get the certificates transfered.

Two semesters for the price of one

Since the academic year at JKUAT runs from August to April you may well resume your studies in Germany in the summer semester 2009. That means just you will just have to leave your home unversity for one semester while studying two semesters at JKUAT.

Reward

Professor Bodo Hamprecht from FU Berlin served on our "Board of Directors" (Aufsichtsrat) since 2005 when he suddenly died. He was our greatest supporter. The Board therefore decided to initiate the "Bodo Hamprecht Price". This price will be awarded to Berlin-Nairobi Exchange participants who

receive excellent academic records at the guest university
exhibit outstanding cross-cultural competences in the guest country
deliver interesting and well structured reports in time
contribute sustainably to one of the Berlin-Nairobi Exchange projects

The recipients of the Bodo Hamprecht Price will be granted a considerable financial reward by the board of directors, too.

A paradise Indian Ocean beach
Picture by Sebastian Roensch