A letter from a Peace Corps-Exchange for Sustainable Development fellow in Nepal
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Sten Trygve Brand who is a former Master student in Development Studies at Noragric shares his experience as Fredskorpset fellow at Kathmandu University, Nepal.
My name is Sten T. Brand and I’m working as a teacher at Kathmandu University in Dhulikel, Nepal. I received my master’s degree in Development studies from the University of Life Sciences in Ås, Norway, in the summer of 2008. I was eager in getting involved into activities outside Norway in order to use my newly acquired knowledge, and the Fredskorpset was the perfect opportunity for me. They offered me a position as an Exchange for Sustainable Development participant in Nepal. One north participant exchange country with a south participant and we learn from each other’s environments. My counterpart in Norway is Meeta Acharya (for her please take a look at Noragric staff list) whom I have a good contact with.
The main goal for exchange is to learn from each other, and about other cultures. This will give me a good experience in learning how to adapt, become flexible, communicate with colleagues, and what it takes to achieve very good collaboration between institutions.
I have background as a video journalist, and now I’m teaching media students for the second consecutive semester here at KU. Since my educational background is television and media (here’s my CV) I first of all have classes in video, audio, and storytelling (mass communication), and I also do language training. It is very inspiring seeing these young people using their creativity, as well as getting positive feedback. I’m very satisfied with my role as a teacher and enjoy it a lot.
Besides teaching I also get to make videos for the Aquatic Ecology Centre who is working on climate change issues in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. I and my colleagues (Prof. Subodh Sharma, Prof. Roshan Man Bajracharya and others) are putting their ‘research-telling story’ together as a documentary on scientific approach to climate change regarding alpine lakes and glaciers, and the ideas and possible ways of coping with it.
These trips to the mountains as a member of the research team would turn one’s attention to other aspects of life as well. In March we experienced very extreme weather in one of the national parks – both heavy rains and extreme dry conditions appeared in unexpected time, in a very unusual time of the year, which has not been observed for many years. Results show high levels of acidity in the lakes that could be caused by high air pollution in the Kathmandu valley, and aquatic species have to adapt to the new conditions.
Arrival at Kathmandu in March was a deja-vu with a country I have been visiting before and which has always fascinated me. A Kathmandu-dweller’s life is quite different compared to the control and safety we are used to in Oslo. There are many traffic accidents – it never will take more than 24 hours before you are an observer of an incident. The second day in Kathmandu I was involved in a crash between my taxi and a motorcycle, and it was a sharp reminder of how dangerous the traffic can be here.
But I also thrive very much in my workplace in Dhulikhel. This is a small town with the population of around five thousand people, about thirty kilometers east of the capital. Getting there could take from one to four hours depending on the road circumstances. Dhulikhel is an old Newari town known as a great viewpoint towards the majestic Himalaya Mountains in the North.
The scenic beauty of Nepal, its rich culture and warm hospitality is something that will stay with me forever. I have gotten good contacts and great friends from this experience, and I feel extremely privileged to be a part of this exchange program. I know that it would have been hard to have this opportunity if not for UMBs Master’s program in Development Studies.
What I have learned so far is that Nepal has great potential in its vast natural resources, and if they managed to deal with the political unrest it is in at the moment, it will have a prosperous future ahead. People I have met, have great pride in their country, my colleagues and my students have been a great source of inspiration from me, and that is what this program is all about.
Sten T. Brand
-- For other Peace Corps (Fredskorpset) participants both at Noragric and outside please take a look at Noragric's staff page (Guests).
