As another year draws to a close, we reflect again on how far we have come and look towards the future to what we would like to achieve in 2024.
Over the past year, there have been many highlights, of which the biggest one is probably that Stellenbosch University celebrated 30 years of formalised internationalisation in March. Many of our partners from across the globe – 128 participants representing 76 institutions from 37 countries – joined us in Stellenbosch for this huge milestone.
This event set the tone for 2023, and our successes are evident in the impact of our work through our partnerships and participation in global networks and consortia.
For 2024, we plan to build on our achievements of this year through further enhancement of SU's commitment to comprehensive internationalisation. From a strategic perspective, we will focus on continuing to augment the integration of an international, intercultural and global dimension into the purpose, functions and programmes for all our students and staff members.
We therefore want our students and staff to have an even more enriching experience in attaining global competencies. This implies that our partners who collaborate with us and whose students come to study at our campuses benefit even more from their exchanges with Stellenbosch University.
In 2024, we will continue to build partnerships with more diverse institutions and leverage our participation in multilateral networks and consortia for the advancement of higher education globally.
But first, in South Africa, universities we will be closing for the summer holidays and taking a well-deserved break. It is a time to recharge, and we plan to come back middle January with renewed vigour and tackle the many exciting projects in internationalisation that we have planned.
Be sure that we will take you – our valued institutional partners and collaborators in networks and consortia – on an exciting journey within the global higher education space in 2024.
- Prof Hester C. Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy, Global and Corporate Affairs
