Crossroads of empires involves a special collaboration of people, all pushing the boundaries of their knowledge and capabilities. But I think this season was a little extra special for those students setting foot in Africa for the very first time. A journey like this can take long hours spent with papers and books and make them real. Walls come down as figures and statistics turn to faces, for better or worse. The entire trip was memorable, for example, sleeping out in the open air, or eating with hands inside a shady hut, with many curious faces peering through the doorway. And the way in which the project gets results, through involving people and encouraging them to build on their interests and abilities are things to take forwards from the Crossroads.
Emma Lord, University of Stirling