Location
|
|
|
Wildlife in the Serengeti National Park, on a safari for ACM Tanzania students
Video courtesy of Kathleen Murphy-Geiss & Tim Lee
|
Tanzania is home to some of the most famous ecological and paleoanthropological sites in the world, making it a dynamic location for academic study and exploration. Located in central East Africa, Tanzania is likely one of the oldest known continuously inhabited locations on the planet, and contains incredible wildlife, anthropological resources, and cultural heritage.
With a population of 2.5 million, Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's major city, port and business center. An increasingly cosmopolitan city, Dar es Salaam is a center for trade and communications along the east coast of Africa. Although Dodoma is officially Tanzania's capital and seat of the legislature, Dar es Salaam remains the nation's political center, with many government offices and foreign embassies.
The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania's premier university and the host institution of the ACM Tanzania Program, was established in 1970 when the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities for Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Located on "The Hill" on the west side of Dar es Salaam, the University is about eight miles from the city center and occupies 1,625 acres. The University's professors have been educated around the world, and its admission standards are very selective. In general, undergraduate students at UDSM are in their early 20's, somewhat older than most American undergraduates.
An outdoor study area on the UDSM campus.
ACM students spend the beginning and the end of the program at UDSM. At the beginning of the program, classes are not yet in session, so ACM and other international students are the primary students on-campus. There is a large amount of faculty and staff housing on-campus, so many professors and staff live very close by. The campus is situated over a hill, with many trees and a large amount of green space, and views of the city of Dar es Salaam. The campus is also located a short 5-minute dalla dalla ride from a modern shopping center.
Tarangire National Park, in Northern Tanzania, serves as the main field site for the middle portion of the ACM program. It’s named for the Tarangire River, which provides the only permanent water source for local wildlife. The park encompasses 1,600 square miles and is a magnet during the dry season for large concentrations of elephants, buffaloes, wildebeests, and zebras. Tarangire is also a permanent residence to mongoose, giraffes, lions, hyenas and many other species. Bird enthusiasts will find populations of eagles and owls, and the park also has large areas of wetlands. While in the field, students live in shared tents at an established campsite.
A view of the area surrounding the Zion campsite.
Students will also visit Serengeti National Park, which boasts the oldest ecosystem on the planet, containing an enormous variety of terrestrial wildlife, from large mammals to countless birds, reptiles and insects. Nearby are Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli, which have been sites of paleo-anthropological research since the early 1900’s. Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli are part of East Africa’s “Rift Valley,” where volcanic and other sediments provide a layered record of the past two million years. Included in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Olduvai and Laetoli continue to be among the world’s most fertile sites for archaeological and paleoanthropological research.