From 9 May to 12 June 2023, a group of 23 Business Studies Masters' students from the National Institute of Polytechnics Félix Houphouët Boigny (INP-HB) in Yamoussoukro, Côte D'Ivoire, will embark on a one-month Business English Course at the Stellenbosch University (SU) Language Centre.
This collaboration between INP-HB and SU connects South Africa and Côte D'Ivoire, as this short-term programme is the first ever non-degree Africa Mobility Programme to take place through the Center for Collaboration in Africa (CCA) at SU International.
Although English is viewed as the 'Lingua Franca' of the modern world of business, the key objective of a Business English Course at Stellenbosch University Language Centre is not only to develop the students' English language proficiency, but to also equip individuals with cross-cultural confidence for when they step out into the global business world and engage with their international peers.
In acknowledging the value and impact of learning English as a professional medium of communication, Prof. Leysseyni Bakayoko, Director of the ESCAE Business School at INP-HB, and HE Mr. Sakaria Kone, Ambassador of Côte D'Ivoire in South Africa, along with his colleagues from the Côte D'Ivoirian Embassy, reached out to the SUfor possible future academic and exchange collaboration.
This programme ties in with SU's Africa Month theme of “Connected to Africa as, INP-HB's initiative highlights on how two African universities can connect and collaborate on the development of academic and professional skills of African students. This collaboration will pave the way for future mobility opportunities to take place between SU and other fellow institutes of higher education on the African Continent.