In a new episode of What Makes Me Tick, NAI researcher Shingirai Mtero reflects on the experiences that shaped her intellectual journey – from questioning what she learned in school in Zimbabwe to helping build new ways of thinking about African politics and feminist scholarship.

Growing up in Zimbabwe, Mtero became increasingly aware that the history and politics she encountered in school largely reflected perspectives from outside the continent.

"I started to think to myself, there's a whole world of knowledge out there that I have not come into contact with through the traditional learning system."

That realisation sparked a search for new perspectives, eventually leading her into political science, where she has focused on African agency in the international criminal justice system, and women’s political representation.

The video also explores Mtero's passion for teaching and why helping students discover new ways of understanding the world has become one of the most rewarding parts of her career.

“Few students come from high school knowing the role of African women in anti-colonial liberation struggles. When you introduce them to names like Thandi Modise and Joyce Mujuru, you can see their eyes open up.”

As a researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute, Mtero values working in an environment where research is firmly rooted in African realities while contributing to policy discussions in the Nordic region.

What Makes Me Tick is a video series in which Nordic Africa Institute researchers reflect on the personal experiences, turning points and questions that have shaped their research.