Exchange to Change June 2018 E2C-may18-web | Page 11

IN THE PICTURE
11
Going global: Opening windows towards
development opportunities
The idea of traveling to a different
country for whatever reason,
however short normally, comes with
different reactions, expectations and
experiences. If you ever had such an
experience, some flashbacks of such
journeys are probably arising already.
Our Exchange to change students’
representatives Maria and Kujiek
interviewed Michaela Stubbers. She
is a current IOB student who travelled
to Nicaragua for the Mobility Window
academic program, a six-week research
internship with the UCA (Universidad
Centroamericana de Nicaragua), as
part of the Research Methods Unit.
Could you please tell us about your
educational background?
I studied applied economics,
anthropology and statistics at the
University of Leuven. As you can see in
the choice of my studies, I love people
and I love figures.
Which programme are you pursuing
at IOB?
I am studying an Advanced Master
in Development Evaluation and
Management (DEM) because it is in line
with my work and future aspirations.
Describe your experience so far
at IOB, studying with different
people from various continents and
backgrounds.
So far, I think that studying with
different people from various
backgrounds and nationalities is a
great experience! We are the world in
one place, and that to me is rewarding.
My boyfriend is currently travelling in
Nepal and I am travelling in my head
and in class. So, the decision to join
IOB is part of my decision to build new
experiences in my personal life.
What motivated you to apply for the
mobility window?
I love Central America, travelling
and statistics. This seemed a great
opportunity to combine my interests.
Furthermore, I thought this would also
be a great opportunity to experience
working in a developmental context.
It will be a great experience working in
another country altogether.
Why did you choose Nicaragua
instead of Tanzania?
My main choice on this was driven by
the quantitative nature of the project in
Nicaragua which interests me more.
How did you experience your mobility
window in Nicaragua?
My experience in Nicaragua was really
nice. The work itself was very open
in the sense that there was no clear
research question. It was rather an
exploratory study, allowing me to
give advice and inspiration on how to
proceed further. I worked on a first
collection of data amongst coffee
farmers. The data collected was
impressive. Everything was descriptive
as a first start. The big goal of the
organisation I worked for is to reinvent
cooperatives. Data gathering and
analysis is part of this transformation.
In a first step the data makes stuff real
and more explicit. By making things
explicit and clarifying proceedings and
the situation, a transformation can
begin.
about data, show possibilities,
encourage creativity. The first feedback
from the Nicaraguan researchers
was that the analysis raised new
questions and routes to follow. During
the presentation lots of ideas came
up. That is great! For me it is difficult
to assess my contribution. It is hard
for me to guess which elements were
useful, added value or are new info to
them. Therefore for myself, I focused
more on showing possibilities and
stimulating reflection.
The nicest feedback for me was when
Ramon, my colleague in Nicaragua,
told me after the presentation that it
generated immediately lots of ideas
for him. The overall project of the
organisation is very interesting I think
and I hope to be able to stay involved.
Were you able to contribute to the
research project?
Concerning my contribution, I
really hope I contributed to their
understanding of analyzing data. It
was a lot of work due to the amount of
data, the way the data was digitalized
and the open nature of the question.
For me the most important or valuable
outcome is to help them with thinking
E xchange to change J une 2018