As chance would have it, while Osman was preparing to begin his study, his MAIS supervisor Elizabeth Cooper was also in Kenya for her own project. An Associate Professor with decades of anthropological research experience in East Africa, Cooper welcomed Osman's proposal to meet him in Northern Kenya. Over the span of a few days, they embarked on visits to crucial sites in the region and held introductory meetings with representatives of local NGOs and peace activists.
Cooper says she appreciates Osman’s passion and commitment to the topic of his research, as well as the personal, ecological, political, and economic insights that Osman brings to it. She was happy that the two of them had the chance to collaborate, noting, “There are so many important directions this research could take, but at the end of the day, it needs to be sufficiently focused to make sure it can have academic and practical impact.”
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