Stellenbosch University
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SU abuzz with international activity
Author: SU International
Published: 22/02/2019

​Stellenbosch University (SU) is abuzz with international activity, having received visitors from various parts of the world on its main campus this month. These included high-level delegations from France, the Czech Republic, Au​stria, Ghana, Mozambique and the United States, who are all seeking to establish ties or strengthen existing networks and partnerships with SU.

On Thursday 21 February 2019, SU and the Embassy of France in South Africa jointly presented a French Day. The day's activities included the launch of a new, bilateral collaboration on wine technology, which is a prominent sector in both France and South Africa. A delegation from France composed of representatives from the Institute of Vine and Wine Science, Inno'vin (the French wine innovation cluster) and the regional council of New Aquitaine visited campus and met with South African and French researchers. 

Mr Laurent Amar, consul general of France in Cape Town, also took part in the French Day activities, meeting with students, staff and members of SU's senior leadership. He joined Prof Hester Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy and Internationalisation, at a student mobility event where scholarship opportunities in France were discussed.

Welcoming Mr Amar to campus, Prof Klopper informed students about the University's partnership with the Embassy of France, which is “opening doors for SU students" by promoting international student mobility. The French Day at SU, she said, was “a very good example of international collaboration in higher education, seeking to develop French-South African scientific and university cooperation". This collaboration is one of many the University has established over the years in its efforts to expand internationalisation: Currently, SU has institutional agreements with 109 universities in 42 countries on five continents. 

In line with its core strategic theme of purposeful partnerships and inclusive networks, the University also welcomed delegations from the University of Pardubice in the Czech Republic, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Austria, Michigan State University in the United States, the University of Ghana, and Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique this month.

Also on the international front, the Confucius Institute at Stellenbosch University (CISU) hosted a Chinese lantern festival to celebrate Chinese New Year on 19 February​. The event was attended by representatives of the Chinese Consulate in Cape Town and residents of Stellenbosch and surrounds. It featured performances by the local Chinese community and organisations, local schools as well as staff members from the CISU, which forms part of SU International. 

Members of SU's senior leadership welcoming a delegation from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Austria to campus

Photo: Anton Jordaan