SUMMER STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM

ENTREPRENEURSHIP & SOCIAL INNOVATION (KENYA)


A 4-credit Global Field Engagement Course in Kenya

AT A GLANCE

  • Global Field Engagement Course
  • Disciplinary Track: Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation
  • Study Abroad Destination: Kenya
  • 2026 Dates: June 6-26 (3 weeks)
  • Credit: 4 U.S. credit hours (~ 8 ECTS credits) for eligible university students
  • Eligibility: Any field and level of study

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Explore inclusive innovation in Kenya
GEI's Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation program in Kenya is a three-week, credit-bearing course that introduces students to entrepreneurship as a tool for addressing complex social and economic challenges. Through an experiential, field-based approach, students explore how innovative ideas emerge, scale, and adapt within diverse cultural and institutional environments.

Built around GEI's Global Field Engagement curriculum, the course emphasizes human-centered design, ethical leadership, sustainable business models, and impact measurement. Students combine academic modules with community-engaged learning, working alongside local entrepreneurs and organizations to better understand the realities of creating change through enterprise.
Program Highlights
  • A 3-week, credit-bearing Global Field
  • Engagement course (4 credits)
  • Coursework focused on entrepreneurship, social innovation, and systems thinking
  • Human-centered design and community-engaged learning projects
  • Exposure to Kenya's entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems
  • Guided reflection and cultural intelligence development
  • Instruction by GEI faculty and local practitioners
  • Emphasis on ethical, context-responsive innovation
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ACADEMICS

Program Structure
This 3-week course is designed as an intensive, immersive introduction to global entrepreneurship and social innovation in a high-impact context. Students engage with local innovators, participate in fieldwork, and explore real-world case studies to understand how inclusive business strategies can be used to address social and environmental challenges. The course provides both theoretical foundations and experiential tools - preparing students to work across cultural and sectoral boundaries in pursuit of social change. Weekly cohort colloquia promote ethical reflection, systems thinking, and personal leadership development.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the program, students will:
  • Understand key frameworks and tools for entrepreneurship and social innovation
  • Analyze real-world challenges and opportunities within Kenya’s innovation ecosystem
  • Demonstrate intercultural competence and ethical awareness in applied fieldwork
  • Collaborate effectively in diverse teams on inquiry-based projects
  • Communicate insights and learning through written and visual formats
Further Details
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YOUR DESTINATION: KENYA

The powerhouse of the East African Community, Kenya is one of the most diverse countries in Africa. From the white sandy beaches and the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean to volcanic mountains in the Great Rift Valley. From the vast savannahs to the lacustrine highlands near Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake on the continent. Cultural traditions converge in Kenya, making it a dynamic and vibrant place to visit and experience.

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES

The program centers on learning directly from local entrepreneurial ecosystems. Students engage with entrepreneurs, social enterprises, and innovation hubs to explore how ideas are shaped by culture, policy, markets, and community needs - moving beyond abstract models to lived realities.

A key component of the course is human-centered design, which encourages students to listen deeply, identify root causes, and co-create solutions in partnership with local actors. Community-engaged projects are designed collaboratively, reinforcing reciprocity and ethical engagement.
Throughout the course, students participate in structured reflection and cultural intelligence training, examining their assumptions, leadership styles, and positionality as emerging changemakers. Reflection is integrated into coursework, supporting deeper learning and personal growth.

Finally, the program offers a contextualized introduction to Kenya as a space of innovation and complexity. Through site visits, thematic explorations, and facilitated discussion, students gain insight into how entrepreneurship intersects with development, inequality, and opportunity - laying a strong foundation for future applied work or advanced study.
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HOUSING & MEALS

The program includes 3 weeks in Kenya. For this time, GEI Kenya offers different housing options that students can choose from, pending availability. These include:

  • Homestays: Typically single rooms, with shared bathroom, and access to a kitchen and living room
  • Serviced apartments: Single or shared double rooms, with shared bathroom, and access to a kitchen and living room
  • University residence halls at our local partner universities: Shared double rooms, with shared bathroom and no kitchen facilities
  • Simple guesthouses: Shared double rooms, with shared bathroom and no kitchen facilities


Homestay host families typically provide breakfast and dinner. Students in serviced apartments, university residence halls, or guesthouses are usually responsible for all meals outside of core course meals.

You can find additional information in the following blog post: Accommodation – What to expect.

DATES, FEES, AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Program Dates

Application Due Date

Fees

Summer 2026 (3 weeks): June 6-26

Summe 2026: April 1

Summer 2026: US $3,650 (3 weeks)

At GEI, we strongly believe in equal access to academic opportunities in study abroad. In order to help eliminate financial barriers, we offer a variety of merit scholarships, trailblazer scholarships, and opportunity scholarships and grants, ranging from $500 to full tuition awards. Each year, GEI is awarding several hundred thousand dollars in scholarships. You can find further information as well as additional resources for external funding opportunities in the following blog post: Scholarships & Grants.

INSTRUCTORS & COORDINATORS

Meet our core team

All of our instructors and coordinators are highly experienced and resourceful professionals.
Waleed Fatth, MPH
Program Director
Francoise Uzamukunda, MA
Academic Director, East Africa
Thuy Phan, MA
Academic Director, Vietnam
Chone Chaowai, MIDP
Academic Director, Thailand
Kari Cousins, MA/MSc
Academic Director, Southern Africa
Yvan Rubengebenge
Operations Manager, Rwanda
Eric Kingoina, DCS
Operations Manager, Kenya
Dang Huynh, BA
Operations, Vietnam
Denyse Iradukunda, BA
Operations, Rwanda
Sammy Davies Mochama, BSc
Operations, Kenya
Mabwe Gwamure, BSc
Operations, South Africa

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