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.
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.
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