07-09-2026

Ten days in Nairobi: KU Students experience international perspectives on social work

This is a story of an initial meeting that also marked the start of a new international collaboration: At the end of June, seven Social Work students from the KU and their lecturer, Dr. Monika Pfaller-Rott, visited the Co-operative University of Kenya (CUK) in Nairobi. As part of their ten-day study tour, the group also visited Caritas Nairobi and attended the international conference “World Conference on Social Work, Education, and Social Development.”

For the students, the visit to CUK provided valuable insight into higher education and social work in Kenya. The group found the in-depth discussions with the students in Nairobi – about their academic experiences, the different semester structures, and opportunities for internships and career entry – particularly enriching. “Discussions about campus life, housing options, and everyday life at the university have also broadened our understanding of the context of studying there and the challenges of social work in Kenya”, says Pfaller-Rott. The group was welcomed on campus by CUK Vice Chancellor Professor Kamau Ngamau, who gave his guests a tour of the university.

Start of new partnership as early as July

The visitors in the Vice Chancellor's office

"The visit to Nairobi marks the start of the first collaborative projects, which will begin as early as July." "As a first step, we are opening up already scheduled online seminars to participants from the CUK", Pfaller-Rott reports. At the event “Sustainable Development of Sinti and Roma Women in Germany” on July 9 – which is taking place as part of a partnership with Gandhigram Rural University in Tamil Nadu, India – students from CUK will also be participating in the discussion for the first time. This collaboration is expected to be expanded in the future to regularly bring together students from all three universities.

Community-based social work

The KU tour group visits Caritas Nairobi

In the next step, the collaboration will focus in particular on community-based social work. “I see only a rudimentary form of this kind of social work in Germany, a highly individualistic society”, explains Pfaller-Rott. During their visit to Caritas Nairobi, the participants in the study tour were able to deepen their understanding of this form of social work and experience community-based social work in practice. “We were particularly impressed by this participatory and community-oriented approach, which offers valuable insights for the further development of social work in Germany as well”, explains Pfaller-Rott.

“World Conference on Social Work, Education, and Social Development”

Dr. Monika Pfaller-Rott and her tour group in front of the convention center in Nairobi

The highlight for Pfaller-Rott was the World Congress on Social Work, which took place in Nairobi from June 26 to 29 and attracted 2,500 participants. Her presentation on “Epistemic Sovereignty and the Democratization of Knowledge: Indigenous Knowledge and its Transformative Role in Social Work and Research in Germany” provided an opportunity for professional exchange with numerous international colleagues. For Pfaller-Rott, the conference motto “Harambee” – which translates to “pulling together” – summarizes her experiences in Nairobi well: "I hope that we can work together to address the global challenges facing social work. "For me, that includes collaboration and close communication with our Kenyan partners."

The study trip was made possible by financial support from the Friends of the Faculty of Social Work, supplemented by funds from the school and the PROMOS program of the KU International Office.

Text: Melena Renner; translation: Sylvia Schmager