From 5 to 9 October 2026, the Collaborative Research Centre TRR 228 Future Rural Africa: Future-making and social-ecological transformation marked the beginning of its third funding phase with a kick-off event and Summer School in Kenya. Bringing together researchers and Early Career Researchers (ECRs), the event took place at the British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA) in Nairobi and the Panorama Park Hotel in Naivasha.
The official kick-off on 5 October featured a welcome address by Prof. Dr. Britta Klagge, spokesperson of the consortium, and a keynote lecture by Dr. Abbi Kedir, Executive Director of Research at the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC). The event provided an opportunity to reflect on the CRC’s research agenda for the new funding phase and to discuss its future directions.
The subsequent Summer School combined theoretical discussions and methodological training with practical insights into empirical research. Highlights included a guided tour of the Kenya National Archives, an excursion to De Ruiters Flower Farm, and sessions on qualitative research methods and navigating fieldwork.
The programme offered participants an opportunity to exchange ideas, develop research perspectives and strengthen collaboration as the CRC embarked on its third funding phase.
