Teaching Primatology at the Université de Mahajanga (NW Madagascar)

Abstract

In 1995, the course “Introduction to Anthropology/Primatology” was organized at the Université de Mahajanga in collaboration with the Anthropological Institute of the University of Zurich as a pilot project. The defined goals were: (1) presentation of primatology as an interesting and important subject, which may be of special relevance for Madagascar; (2) initiation of a test case to see how it would operate in general; ((3) provision of a starting point for future adjustments and potential extensions. Two questionnaires filled out by students before and after the course showed that they came from all over the island (such that knowledge would potentially be widely distributed later), that they were relatively old for the study level achieved, and that knowledge of the natural richness of Madagascar at the beginning of the lectures was lower than expected. Students judged the course to be interesting and worth following, feeling that it should be offered again; many believed that they had understood quite a lot. In fact, however, some of the messages of the lecture course did not transfer very well. As a pilot project, the course was successful in several realms but failed to catalyze longer term teaching and research activities for various reasons. An evaluation of the experiences made and of results of the questionnaires is presented.