On 31 October 2022, Stellenbosch University (SU) received a delegation from the University of Warwick (UW). The delegation was led by Prof. Mike Shipman, Pro-Vice Chancellor (International).
The purpose of the visit was to discuss various topics, including:
- Multilateral collaboration: SU and WU take part in various shared networks (for example, Eutopia), and both hold memberships in networks which are engaging with one another on a strategic level (for example, ARUA and the Guild).
- Funding opportunities for collaborative projects between SU and UW.
- Virtual research workshops that will take place around shared areas of excellence.
During the visit the delegation from UW also had the opportunity to engage with SU academic staff members from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, School for Climate Studies and the Department of Mathematics. In addition to these engagements, there were also engagements with the African Centre for Scholarship and the Centre for Collaboration in Africa. Part of the reason for these engagements, was to map and identify areas of overlap between the two institutions.
The delegation visit was also an opportunity to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities. Even though SU and UW have already collaborated on various levels with one another, there have been no formal agreement between the two universities. To formalize the existing collaborative activities the signing of a memorandum of understanding was the “natural next step”.
Collaboration between SU and UW:
Collaboration between the two universities include existing co-publication and collaborative research projects, student programmes in the areas of undergraduate research and community engagement (for example, ICUR and Warwick in Africa) and shared network membership, for example the network Eutopia.
Both institutions are also respectively part of networks, the Guild and ARUA, which collaborates with one another in terms of certain areas of excellence. |
The memorandum of understanding makes provision for the following activities:
- Student Exchange
- Joint Supervision
- Joint research activities
- Administrative and Academic Staff Mobility
- Joint conferences, symposia and other academic meetings on subjects of mutual interest
- Hosting of faculty members for teaching purposes (guest lectures, joined seminars, etc)
- Virtual and Hybrid teaching collaboration
The Memorandum of Understanding will be further supported by a student exchange agreement between the two institutions.
If you are interested to find out more about opportunities to become involved in the partnership between UW and SU, please reach out to Sarah van der Westhuizen (SU).
