Why did you choose to study African Studies?

My interest in Africa and African Studies grew during my job assignment in Ghana some years ago. I spent around 1 1/2 years in Accra working as Head of Sales for one of the largest real-estate developers in West Africa. My clients were not only Ghanaian nationals, but members of the diaspora in the U.S., UK, Europe, among other nationalities, e.g., Nigerians, etc. I witnessed the presidential elections in 2016 in Ghana and learned a lot in practice about the impact’s politics had on economic and financial markets and vice versa. Through my Ghanaian colleagues I also learned how religion played into the workplace and the diversity of ethnic and tribal cultures. However, as this was all practical experience, I wanted to deepen my theoretical knowledge of the continent, to understand the social, historical, cultural dynamics and global interconnections. Back in Copenhagen, and after a few years in a full-time job, I applied to this Master programme, as it felt just right and matched my expectations of an interdisciplinary approach to African Studies.

Did the degree live up to your expectations?

Yes, the degree very much lived up to my expectations. I decided to go ahead with the full-time Master and never regretted it. The interdisciplinary approach of the programme was exactly what I was looking for: I got a solid understanding of economic development, political dynamics and how that often is intertwined with historical and religious patterns and can have impacts on, amongst others, nature conservation or education systems. But most importantly, what I have learned most is critical thinking about how to approach working, learning, thinking about Africa and its diverse cultures and contexts and to always consider local circumstances without slipping into a Eurocentric mindset.

In what ways have you used your degree?

With more than 13 years of professional experience on my back - mostly in communications, marketing and sales - it was difficult for me to see how and where a Master degree in humanities could fit in with my career. However, after one semester I applied to The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) for a part-time communications position in their Diaspora Programme Unit. I could use the knowledge and literature on Africa's diaspora during my interview as well as my own experience from Ghana and beyond, which was definitely one reason why I got the job. Once part of DRC, not only could I see how professional INGOs work with and in Africa and its diaspora, but could use my critical thinking from the Master programme to challenge entrenched mindsets of working in an international humanitarian organization.

What challenges have you experienced?

One challenge I had was the academic writing style. Studying for the first time at a Danish University, it was difficult to adopt the specific writing style and adjust to the rules and regulations. I did a lot of extra work outside the studies to improve my writing style and to ensure that I adhere to all the rules.

What do you think of the study environment?

I think the biggest challenge for me was the lack of classroom teaching, because our cohort started during the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020. 3/4 of our studies were held online via zoom, only the first semester was hybrid teaching - where we could choose between classroom and online participation. However, all professors and lecturers were super accommodating and tried their best to make the classes and sessions as participatory and interactive as possible. Overall, I still felt the community spirit at CAS, where all professors and lecturers had an "open door" policy and were always available for discussing questions, queries or comments.

Current employer: Danish Refugee Council, HQ Copenhagen, as Communications Advisor in the Programme, Policy and External Relations Department.