Chevening gave me a ‘front-row seat’ access to career-defining opportunities

Around this time last year, I received a Bronze Award at the annual Chevening Volunteering Awards  Ceremony, hosted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, for committing over 20 hours  of voluntary support to UK charitable organisations. What started as a great way to destress from my busy  academic schedule and make my mark in the University of Reading community turned out to be an enriching experience that allowed me to contribute a considerable positive impact to the wider community. This award  is a testament to the many ways the Chevening Secretariat empowers scholars to engage in memorable  and impactful experiences beyond their academic pursuits in the UK. 

Annet at the official welcome for Chevening scholars in London. (Courtesy photo)

Pursuing an MSc in Spatial Planning and Development at the University of Reading marked a new chapter  in my journey to advance urban development and gain a global perspective that would inspire a systemic, integrated and sustainable approach to urban challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa. I was excited about the  rigorous academic experience and the insightful debates that awaited me. I am delighted to share that I  surpassed all my expectations and goals by acquiring knowledge beyond the lecture halls, in keeping with  the Chevening spirit of getting the most out of the Chevening year.

Chevening gave me a ‘front-row seat’ access to career-defining opportunities. I gained comprehensive  sustainable development insights from lectures by the Royal Town Planning Institute, University of Oxford and The Bartlett and from participating in the Chevening Conference 2024. I developed early career skills  and industry connections through work experience, shadowing planning and development experts at Carter  Jonas in Oxford. I continued to make my mark through volunteering with notable UK charities like CPRE  The Countryside Charity, where I actively engaged in a national campaign for rural affordable homes. As  such, my research contributed to soft campaigning ahead of the new UK government Housing Strategy in  2025. Similarly, as a University of Reading researcher co-produced UKRI-funded community-led research  investigating the impact of urban soundscapes on resident well-being with the Engine Room, supported by  the British Science Association. This Chevening journey has strengthened my understanding of planning  policy, practice and development in the UK and equipped me with innovative tools in transformative social  action to ensure that this newly found knowledge is transferable and applicable in the Sub-Saharan  context, particularly in Uganda.

Annet getting recognition by the Chevening Secretariat for community volunteering. (Courtesy photo)

Upon completion of my studies, I participated in Les Ateliers’ 42nd Paris Region International Urban  Workshop, where, together with my multinational team, proposed quick win regeneration strategies to  address the housing crisis currently experienced in the established new towns of the Cergy-Pontoise  agglomeration. This has broadened my expertise at the ReFrame Urbanism Research Initiative, a  collaborative think tank of early career researchers affiliated to academic institutions in the UK, Europe and  Uganda, to explore and implement participatory urbanism in the African context. Through Chevening, I have  been inspired and motivated by volunteering that matters, and I currently volunteer with the CSET Youth (part of the Commonwealth Youth for Sustainable Urbanisation network) to accelerate the sustainable  energy transition.

By Annet Twinokwesiga
Chevening scholar 2023-2024
MSc in Spatial Planning and Development
University of Reading

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