Joyce Kasoni

My name is Joyce Kasoni, I come from Dar es Salaam Tanzania.

I am a holder of a bachelor’s degree in political science and Language studies from the University of Dar es Salaam, a Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Diplomacy from the Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim Centre for Foreign Relations in Dar es Salaam as well as an Erasmus Mundus  Masters degree which I was awarded after successfully studying in three European universities (University of Porto in Portugal, University of Bayreuth in German and University of Bordeaux Montagne in France) and defending my thesis at the university of Porto.

Before graduating with a European Interdisciplinary master’s in African studies (EIMAS), I have had opportunities to work in diverse areas which have taught me a lot of things about my country and its challenges and opportunities. With African Women in Mining network Tanzania Chapter (AFWIMNTZ), I worked as a project officer in areas of gender and access to energy, renewable and sustainable energy as well as environmental conservation. I worked with REPOA in a World Bank Survey on Service Delivery in the education sector, here apart from improving my research and data collection skills, I also got an opportunity to sharpen my leadership skill, through leading research teams on field. I have also worked on areas of visa and migration when I worked with the International Organization for Migration in Dar es Salaam. More recently I got to work with the Swiss embassy in Dar es Salaam on areas of administration and travel logistics and arrangements. 

Through the EIMAS program, I was exposed to an international academic and sociocultural environment which reshaped my perspective on various issues particularly International Development and the position of Africa in the world development politics. I also got an opportunity to travel to different places including Burundi where I did my internship and master’s thesis research. Through traveling I experience and enjoy different cultures and gain international exposure which broaden my understanding of various sociocultural, political and economic issues. The experience further developed my analytical skills, decision making skills, teamwork capacity and open-mindedness. My EIMAS experience further re-affirmed my interest in Youth Development and participation in development activities, Sustainable Development, Development Cooperation, Migration and Diplomacy. I also got to discover the importance of Africa being at the center of defining and reshaping its own idea of development.

The international education I received through EIMAS coupled with the multicultural experience the EIMAS program exposed me to, opened doors of profession opportunities for me. Immediately after returning home from Europe, I was employed by the High Commission of Canada in Tanzania where I am currently working.

Contact: Joycekasoni@gmail.com