Applied Learning & AC Projects
Applied Learning and AC (Applied & Capstone) Projects are core components of IDEAS programs, designed to bridge theory, community engagement, and original research. Through fieldwork, internships, collaborative research, and supervised capstone projects, students apply classroom learning to real-world contexts while engaging ethically with local institutions and communities.
These experiences are grounded in Africa-centered and decolonial pedagogies that prioritize reciprocity, accountability, and place-based knowledge production. Students do not “study” communities from a distance; they work alongside partners, mentors, and practitioners to learn with and from the contexts in which they are embedded.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork provides students with structured opportunities to observe, document, and analyze social, cultural, artistic, political, and economic dynamics in Dakar and surrounding regions. Guided by faculty and local mentors, students engage in ethnographic observation, site visits, and community-based inquiry that emphasize ethical research practices and reflexivity.
Research
Students undertake individual or collaborative research projects that center African epistemologies and locally grounded questions. Research is conducted under faculty supervision and often in partnership with universities, cultural institutions, or community organizations. Emphasis is placed on responsible methodologies, critical inquiry, and producing work that is meaningful to local contexts as well as academic audiences.
Internships
IDEAS internships place students within organizations whose work aligns with the program’s academic themes and ethical commitments. These placements may include cultural institutions, NGOs, research centers, creative spaces, or social enterprises. Internships are structured as learning experiences rather than labor extraction, with clear goals, mentorship, and reflective components.
Supervised Capstone Projects
AC Projects culminate in a supervised capstone that integrates coursework, applied learning, and independent inquiry. Capstone projects may take the form of research papers, creative works, policy analyses, digital archives, or community-based outputs, depending on the student’s discipline and interests. Each project is guided by faculty oversight to ensure academic rigor, ethical engagement, and intellectual coherence.