Miho Saito Fellow (the 4th Cohort) visited Tanzania and held research meetings with representatives from universities, research institutions, and government agencies.
To lay the groundwork for advancing research on human–wildlife relationships in Tanzania, I traveled to Tanzania and held research meetings with representatives from universities, research institutions, and government agencies. In Dar es Salaam, I met with faculty members from Ardhi University and the University of Dar es Salaam. In Katavi National Park, I held discussions with ecologists working at the park, and in Arusha, I met with ecologists responsible for research management in national parks as well as researchers from related research institutions.
Tanzania National Parks Headquarters
From December 27 to January 6, I held research meetings with ecologist Germanus Hape at Katavi National Park. I received a positive response regarding the acceptance of my research, and it was confirmed that necessary support, including the employment of rangers during the research period, would be provided. While in the area, I also met with the village chairperson of the village that will serve as the research base, who explained the administrative procedures required for conducting future research in the village.
On January 6, I met with Mr. Jasson John of the University of Dar es Salaam, and we confirmed our plan to jointly proceed with the writing of a book on animal behavior. We also confirmed that he would serve as my local counterpart during future research activities in Tanzania.
On January 7, I held a research meeting with Ms. Atupelye Komba, a research fellow at Ardhi University. We agreed to actively apply for competitive research funding in order to advance our collaborative research. In addition, we confirmed her participation in a project involving members of AIJWeek, who were invited to Japan by the traveler at the end of last year.
Through this visit, I was able to conduct thorough coordination with relevant research institutions, government agencies, and universities, which is essential for carrying out future research in Tanzania. It was confirmed that from the next visit onward, field research can be conducted smoothly. Building on this foundation, I plan to commence fieldwork from the next academic year. In addition, I made efforts to strengthen networking between Tanzanian researchers and researchers invited during last year’s AIJWeek. Drawing on my previous activities under L-insight, I am confident that further academic exchange and the expansion of research beyond a single site will continue to develop.
