Global field exercise in Africa: an example of problem-solving approaches for sustainable development in Africa

Abstract

This chapter presents the Global Field Exercise in Africa (GFE Africa), an exercise designed to provide an opportunity for the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science-Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI) students to get exposed to field conditions and societal situations in the real world. GFE Africa is composed of three units namely GFE Ibadan, GFE Cape Town and GFE Nairobi. The basic aim of GFE Africa is to help students deepen their understanding of sustainable development phenomenon in Sustainability Science and interact with people and organizations in the field sites. The chapter outlines the design and structure of GFE Africaand uses the case of GFE Nairobi, Kenya under the broad theme of sustainable urban development, to show how the exercise works.

Keywords: sustainability, urban development, transdisciplinary approach, Africa