Malika Kounkourou (BA IR ’22) Shares Story of Field Research in Niger
During the Fall 2020 semester, while conducting a literature review for her honors thesis exploring environmental peacebuilding and uranium mining in Niger, Malika Kounkourou (BA IR ’22) realized that in order to gather data and documents pertaining to her empirical case, she would need to conduct on-site research. With support from the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies’ Keylor Travel Grant, Malika traveled to Niger from December 2021-January 2022 for an experience that not provided valuable information for her research but strengthened her resolve to pursue a career advocating for the regulation of land use and the protection of livelihoods in Niger and more broadly on the African continent. The Pardee School spoke with Malika to understand why she pursued research abroad, the opportunities made available to her through the School’s Keylor Grant, and what made her experience so enriching.
Malika’s studies focus on Environment and Development as well as Africa and the Middle East, but she specifically became interested in the field of environmental peacebuilding during her time at Boston University. “After taking EE594 Global Environmental Policy and Negotiation with Dr. Selin, I was struck by the emerging field of environmental peacebuilding,” she said. “The conditions of the Tuareg due to the uranium mines have been so dire that they have led to rebellions and violent conflict since the 1990s and as recently as 2007. Accordingly, uranium mining governance can contribute greatly to the peacebuilding process. After making that realization, I was compelled to pursue this area of research and attempt to produce some meaningful contributions to the peacebuilding discourse in Niger and the environmental peacebuilding field as a whole.”
Determined to make an impact and gain a better understanding of the situation in Niger, Malika applied to the Keylor Travel Grant, which provided her with the funds needed to cover travel abroad as well as health insurance, internet access, phone service, and other amenities. When she arrived, Malika quickly realized what an impact being on location had in comparison to the on-campus environment. “Examining the situation on the field, and even experiencing the insecurity that is recently on the rise in the country, made me realize how exigent the situation truly is. The plethora of primary sources that I was able to access and the tremendous help of people in Niger to further my research were all something an on-campus research environment could not amount to.” Access to these resources and interviews with leaders in Niger were invaluable to Malika’s research and helped provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of the work she has conducted.
Given the opportunities afforded to her, Malika highly recommends her fellow Pardee School students apply to the Keylor Grant, so long as they plan ahead and identify what gaps can be filled by being in the field. “Look into the IRB process to ensure that you are compliant in advance and do not run into problems too late in the process,” she advised. “Moreover, preparing most of your background research on the topic will better allow you to make the most of the research time abroad as you can focus on collecting the important information that is missing. Additionally, I encourage students to ask for as much as they think they will need, and not underestimate their costs or the ability of the Keylor Grant to fulfill those needs.”
Supporting student research like Malika’s is a point of pride for the Pardee School, and we encourage our students to pursue every opportunity afforded to them in their time at BU. If you are interested in undertaking your own global research, visit the Pardee School’s Travel Grants page for detailed information on grant opportunities and resources.
If you or someone you know is interested in sharing their Pardee School global research story, please contact Pardee School Communications Specialist Andrew Luckett.