This archive report was first published on 6 May 2020.
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, postgraduate students at the University of Nairobi are facing unprecedented academic challenges. The pandemic has brought academic life to a standstill, with institutions of learning shut indefinitely.
For postgraduate students, who rely heavily on libraries to write their theses, the pandemic has been a significant setback. 'The pandemic hit us like a thunderbolt,' said Ashford Gikunda and Diana Ross, finalists' MA students in Project Planning and Management at UoN. 'We were least prepared for such an eventuality of this magnitude and ignominy.'
With libraries closed, students have had to think creatively to overcome the hurdles. Some universities are conducting defenses using technology, with conference apps like Zoom, Google Meets, and Skype being used to allow students to defend their theses remotely.
However, online defenses have their own set of challenges. 'The online defenses may have their own pros and cons but at least for now they are serving the purpose,' said Gikunda and Ross. 'Defenses are baptism by fire. The online defenses are not stoking the academic fire accurately. Something is being lost.'
The pandemic has also limited the ability of researchers to collect data, with curfews and containment restrictions making it difficult to conduct fieldwork. 'Chapter 4 of the research requires one to go out and collect data,' said Gikunda and Ross. 'In this period of uncertainty, this is a daunting task.'
Qualitative research, in particular, has been severely impacted by the pandemic. 'Qualitative research is extensive and may require large sample sizes and one-on-one interviews with the respondents,' said Gikunda and Ross. 'Other methods of data collection such as participatory and observation are greatly hampered by the pandemic.'
Despite the challenges, postgraduate students are determined to overcome them. 'All in all, we will live to tell our stories,' said Gikunda and Ross.
