Sarah Begg
Subject: BA Geography
Graduated: 2014
Place of work: Practical Action
Position: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Adviser, Renewable Energy for Refugees
What made you choose to study geography at the University?
I've always been fascinated by the world. I wanted to better understand how and why places, people and environment connect, and how they compare and contrast across the globe. I loved how varied the course was at Nottingham, and how there was a real focus on developing, and strengthening core geographic skills. I've also been interested, and determined to work in global development but I wasn’t ready to specialise during my undergraduate. I loved how I could have the opportunity to learn about a whole new range of issues, from epidemiology to floods to colonialism, and even GIS.
What skills did you acquire during this time?
Critical thinking! Studying geography really broadened my mind, and encouraged me to think outside the box. I constantly think about issues, and challenges from multiple perspectives and dimensions - this is the core skill geography taught me! Qualitative and quantitative research methods is another core skill I developed during my time at Nottingham. I undertook my undergraduate dissertation in Uganda so I really had the opportunity to put these skills into practice.
What are your fondest memories from your time at the school?
Berlin field course! I absolutely loved the European Geographies module, the field trip was a fantastic balance of culture and economics. I loved how we were given the license to be creative, innovative and try new ways of communicating our work. Plus, it was a lot of fun!
Globall is another classic, these annual summer balls were always a lovely way to end the year. I was on the GeogSoc committee so it was always really fun to work with students in different year groups and then celebrate all together.
The school was always incredibly supportive of my charity work. Whilst at university, I was the President of Share Uganda Nottingham, a small health development charity on campus. The school would always support my team's fundraising efforts, and still support our work to date - which is absolutely incredible!
Where are you working now and what does the role involve?
I work for the international development charity Practical Action - one of Sarah Jewitt's case studies! My role is about understanding what impact our Renewable Energy for Refugees project is having. Working in partnership with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the project is ensuring refugees in Rwanda and Jordan have access to affordable, efficient and sustainable renewable energy services to meet their needs. We advocate for market-based approaches, meaning we work very closely with the private sector and local entrepreneurs so that refugees own their own energy sources. Energy access is important for every aspect of life, from powering health clinics and schools, to cooking, to charging phones - my role is about tracking this, and understanding what positive, negative, intended and unintended changes are occurring as a result of our work.
I am responsible for designing and implementing a methodology for tracking, monitoring and assessing the change the project is having. It is all about understanding the wider system our project is operating within, and generating evidence on what works so that other agencies, institutions and organisations can adopt our models and approaches in the future. I work closely with my team in Rwanda and Jordan.
What advice would you give to someone considering following a similar career path?
Push yourself outside your comfort zone! Have the confidence to do something different. Use your summers to your advantage, I volunteered in Uganda twice during my summers and undertook my dissertation research over the summer which really helped!