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AERC IMPACT STORY

HARAD CHUMA LUNGU, ZAMBIA

“I am honored to have been one of the recipients of the Collaborative Masters in Agricultural and Applied Economics (CMAAE) scholarship. Thanks to your generosity and initiative, I am confirming that I am graduating from the University of Pretoria this Autumn (April 17, 2019). The scholarship was awarded to me on February 8, 2017.

Growing up in a developing country has not only offered academic and financial challenges, but has helped me realize the true value of university education and my role to give back to society in any possible way I can.

I completed my master’s program specializing in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. I was privileged having been taught and supervised by the best lecturers in CEEPA at UP. Through their complete dedication to academic excellence, I was honored to be selected to present my research work at the inaugural world conference on Sustainability and Development at the University of Michigan in November 2018. Further, I was informed by my supervisor that I was one of the few students who has graduated “on time” from my program at UP and it’s a fit I never imagined possible.

With that, I offer special gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Selma Karuaihe at UP. I also extend much appreciation to Ms. Christa VanLoggerenberg (In copy) who is the AERC CMAAE admin person at UP, her kind and friendly personality made life a little easier at UP. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to attend varsity at UP. Working as Research Assistant in Zambia prior to my admission at UP, I enjoyed participating and contributing to “Research4Development” activities that enabled targeted groups to lead resilient and sustainable livelihoods through the program initiatives championed. I now hope to carry on in a similar path but with a more understanding of the role of research in informing policy and the subsequent impacts on people’s livelihoods.”