René Vesper

Tasks

PhD in the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) Future Rural Africa, Subproject "C03 Green Futures" (PI: Prof. D. Müller-Mahn)

Interdisciplinary research in Kilombero Valley, Morogoro Region, Dodoma, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on the topics of socio-ecological transformation, political ecology, agrarian change, rural development, visions of green futures

Coordination of the theory group Future-Making

Administrative spokesperson C03 Green Futures

Teaching Assistance (Project Seminar with Mzumbe University 08/2018

Masters Seminars on Political Ecology; WS 19/20 & 20/21).

Political ecology, political economy, postcolonialism, rural development and socio-ecological transformation.

Social relations of nature, land use change, land grabbing/land rush, agrarian and land issues, peasant studies

Marxism (Marx, Luxemburg, Gramsci, Fanon, Rodney, Harvey, Smith, Shivji, etc.)

Qualitative social research (semi-structured expert* interviews, PRA methods, participant observation, etc.)

Dissertation (started 04/2018): "Contested Rural Futures - A Gramscian Political Ecology of Social-Ecological Transformation in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania" (monograph).

East Africa (especially Kenya and Tanzania)

Multiscale research (local to global)

04/2022 - 09/2022

Research Assistant (WiMi) at the Department of Development Geography (DMM)

04/2018 - 03/2022

Research Associate (WiMi) at the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) Future Rural Africa, Subproject C03 - Green Futures.

06/2018 - 03/2022

Administrative spokesperson for subproject "C03 Green Futures".

04/2018 - 04/2019

Elected representative of interest for Early Career Researchers (ECR) in the SFB Future Rural Africa.

05/2017 - 03/2018

Research Assistant (WHK) AG Geographical Development Research (Prof. Dr. D. Müller-Mahn)

10/2014 - 04/2017

M. Sc. Uni Bonn; Focus Development & Globalization; Thesis: Whose livelihoods count? - A Gramscian Political Ecology of Rural Livelihoods in Laikipia West Constituency Kenya (Prof. Dr. D. Müller-Mahn; Dr. S. Bauriedl).

2016

Student Assistant (SHK) AG Geographical Development Research (Prof. Dr. D. Müller-Mahn)

WS 14/15

Tutor for agricultural and environmental policy (Prof. Dr. T. Heckelei)

WS 13/14

Tutor for Agricultural and Environmental Policy (Prof. Dr. T. Heckelei)

10/2010 - 04/2014

B. Sc. Uni Bonn; Thesis: "Agricultural investments of German actors in East Africa in the 21st century" (Prof. Dr. Britta Klagge)

08/2009 - 07/2010

Federal political volunteer service Weltwärts in Kisii, Kenya

06/2009

High school diploma; Gymnasium an der Schweizer Allee (Gadsa); Dortmund Aplerbeck

07/2006 - 01/2007

School semester 11.1 at York High School in George, South Africa

2021

07/ 2021: Research of subproject "C03 Green Futures" in Tanzania 2018 - 2021 (Available at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/cnx0q4682ulumgw/AABIi9DbDBAP5ZR3ahdFITqva?dl=0)
06/ 2021: "Tanzanian Futures"; 50 Years Informationsstelle südliches Afrika e.V. (issa) (Available at: LINK follows)
05/2021: Podcast 30:42 min; African Hemisphere "Magufuli - Legacy of a Controversial President" (Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frr_lvMDxsw)
04/ 2021: "(Counter-)Hegemonic Struggles about Agrarian Futures in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania" at American Association of Geography (AAG) (Retrieved from: LINK to follow).

2018

01/2018: Eichstätt, "Green Futures: The Politics of the Green Economy in Rural Africa" New Cultural Geography (NKG) (with J. Dittmann).

2017

12/2017: Bonn, "(In)possible Futures of Kenya" (together with J. Dittmann); Dies Academicus, University of Bonn.
10/2017: Bonn, VHS - African Aspects; "Whose Livelihood Counts? Socio-ecological Transformations in the Kenyan Highlands."