Jennifer Kandjii

Jennifer Kandjii is a PhD candidate in the Global Governance Program at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo Ontario. Her broad research interests include forced migration and post-conflict studies, gender and women, global governance, humanitarianism, and human rights.

Jennifer was born in Windhoek, Namibia, where she completed her Degree in Chemistry, Molecular and Physiological Biology at the University of Namibia.  In 2008 she joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Namibia (UNHCR) where she worked for 7 years as part of a team providing protection care and assistance to persons of concern to UNHCR, while finding durable solutions for their plight.  In addition to her work responsibilities, Jennifer was elected and trained as a Respectful Workplace Advisor for the UNHCR Namibia office. A role she served for five years.

In 2012, Jennifer obtained an International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA) from the Centre of International Humanitarian Cooperation, Switzerland. That same year, she was awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarship – the UK government’s international awards scheme aimed at developing global leaders –  which enabled her to complete a Masters in Refugee Studies (Distinction) at the University of East London (UEL), UK. Her MA research tackled the difficult and complex problem of Housing, Land and Property Rights (HLP) of Internally Displaced Persons in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The thesis analyzed the institutional responses of the African Union and United Nations to the plights of IDPs in the eastern DRC, particularly in terms of property restitution and reintegration, drawing on human rights scholarship and critical refugee and migration studies.

Jennifer’s leadership and research skills led her to being offered a position as a Research Assistant in the School of Law and Social Science, UEL. This was in addition to her role as a UEL Student Ambassador and Student Representative. As the first-born of her father’s ten children, she had a lot of experience in being the voice of reason in a crowd.

Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys going to the gym, reading and spending time with her huge extended family and friends.