Graduate interview with Ida
Why did you want to study African Studies?
I was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, and I have therefore always had an interest, especially in East Africa. Additionally, I was excited about the structure of the degree, not least because you have the option to go on an exchange or to do fieldwork and dive into a specific subject, during the 3rd semester. And then CAS gave me the space to examine my interest in the postcolonial approach.
Did the degree live up to your expectations?
Overall, I have been quite satisfied with the teaching and the structure of the degree. I thrive with getting the opportunity to dive down into a specific subject of your own choice, and you can do that at CAS. It feels a bit like you get to tailor your own education, which is one of the reasons why I applied.
How have you used your degree?
My current job is not Africa-related at all, but what CAS has given me is the ability to approach virtually any societal- or cultural question. This is something you can use in many work contexts, especially generalist officers. CAS was also a great combination of professional profiles and different theoretical approaches and courses. There was also a lot of diversity amongst the students. I think all this contributes to the possibility to access many positions, not necessarily only Africa-related ones.
What is the best part about African Studies, and it what ways has it been challenging?
The best part is the option to tailor your own education and to do, for example, field work. In some ways you create your own master’s degree, and you are able to specialise within the area you choose.
A challenge is probably that the title of the degree can be misleading, because you are not only studying that big a continent, with that much diversity. And if I for example tell a person in Denmark that I have a master in African Studies, I often experience that they think I know everything about Africa. Which of course I don’t.
What’s the social environment like?
The social environment at CAS is really great, because everyone is interested in spending time together and get to know each other. Many of the students are international and therefore they don’t have a large network in Denmark. It was very important to me to have a space without any competition amongst the students. I am comfortable being in an environment with fellow students, not competitors. And that’s what it was like at CAS.