Responsible Internationalisation at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) is integrating an international, global and intercultural dimension into the complete life of the university – the people (staff and students) and the place (our campus, services, connection to town) — so that we can collectively explore the possibilities of things such as internationalisation-at-home, research collaboration, and virtual and physical mobility.
“The responsible side is then the alignment to SU's values; and asking ourselves questions such as: how equitable are our partnerships, how do we ensure that mobility possibilities are accessible for all students, are we accountable in our projects, how do we show compassion to our services and engagement with international students, how do we ensure respect in our engagement with partners, and many more. Our exploration of these questions and concepts will ensure that SU can play our role in International Higher Education and when we need to make difficult decisions regarding collaboration with countries involved in geo-political conflict."
These are the words of Robert Kotzé, SU's Senior Director: SU International, who welcomed delegates to this year's annual Stellenbosch International Academic Network (SIAN) conference, which was held at the Wallenberg Centre at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advance Study (STIAS) from 12-15 March 2025. This year's meeting placed the spotlight on responsible Internationalisation — a concept with many definitions and the subject of many published articles.
What began as a small “family meeting" in 2003 has evolved into an annual event, with 104 delegates from 67 universities across 36 countries attending SIAN this year. Kotzé states: “SU's goal with SIAN remains to highlight Stellenbosch as a prime destination for students and a place where partnerships are valued. We aim to foster collaboration, understanding, and shared growth. Together, we are building bridges between our African partners and institutions beyond Africa, helping the Global North better understand the Global South while providing opportunities to share experiences and enhance engagement with African higher education."
In celebrating SU's outgoing Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Wim de Villiers, ten-year tenure at SU, Kotzé paid tribute to his crucial role in establishing SU International as a fully-fledged division in SU's Rectorate. Prof de Villiers emphasised the importance of international partners in achieving research excellence and global competitiveness by establishing joint PhD and Master's programmes, student and staff exchanges, and partnerships with African and other global universities.
“We cannot solve the major, complex challenges we face—globally and on our continent—alone. We need you. We need our partners to help us tackle them together," said Prof de Villiers while acknowledging the challenges of internationalisation in the current geo-political climate and the need for continued advocacy for global collaboration.
The SIAN meeting included discussions on Higher Education Trends in Responsible Internationalisation, the value of a partnership framework and workshop sessions on integration within international student cohorts, towards digitally enhanced global learning, and integrating sustainability into your environment. On Thursday, 14 March, some of the international delegates manned small stalls as part of a study abroad fair at the Jan Mouton Learning Centre on SU's campus, and the meeting concluded with a visit to the Sustainability Institute at Lynedoch, outside of Stellenbosch, on Friday, 15 March.?
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