Upon arrival in South Africa, our first visit is with a friendly face, Dr. Kaluke Mawila (PhD ’09) who now serves as the executive director of institutional engagement and partnership development at the National Research Foundation (NRF), located in Pretoria. At NRF, Kaluke and her colleagues describe South Africa’s overarching research priorities, NRF’s role within…

The University of Pretoria’s (UP) efforts to support and retain historically underrepresented students (through put rates) is our topic of discussion with Patricia Smit, head of Research Capacity.  She also discusses UP’s institutional research themes: malaria, energy and food security — all issues important and timely to South Africa — which are part of the…

Our visit to the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg begins with a warm welcome by the head of Wits School of Education, Dr. Lee Rusznyak. Elizabeth Walton, associate professor in inclusive education at the Wits School of Education and a member of the forum of the UNESCO Chair for Teacher Education for Diversity and Development,…

Dr. Francois Strydom joins us for a late-day conversation to introduce us to the University of the Free State (UFS), which has one of the longest running access programs in South Africa. The following morning, at the SANRC 1st-year experience conference, we hear more about programming at UFS from colleagues of Dr. Strydom directly involved…

During the planning for this study trip, an exciting opportunity for the group to be involved in the SANRC First-Year Experience conference presented itself.  Over the ensuing months leading up to our trip, members of our group work in teams to develop conference presentations.  The conference organizers then propose to feature the U-M presentations within…

Entering Soweto via the Diepkloof Extension (where some of the houses can cost in the millions) we proceed through the township to soak up sites and sounds. We drive through various suburbs, including the suburb of Orlando where the famous cooling towers still stand out on the horizon and where many political influencers once lived….

Our next stop is the city of Port Elizabeth. Perched on the shore of the Indian Ocean, Port Elizabeth is a seaside community whose image of itself is still undergoing change. We arrive on a Sunday and have the afternoon to spend poking around the waterfront market where we test our bartering skills against true…

What journey to Africa is complete without an opportunity to see “the big five” on safari?  After the conclusion of our business at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, we visit a nearby game preserve. We enjoy a sunset game drive in open vehicles and have many up-close animal sightings. As the sun goes down, we share…

As we learned earlier in the trip, the concept of Ubuntu means “I am because of you.  You are because of me.” The Ubuntu Education Fund is changing the lives of young people through education, food security, and public health resources.  The Fund seeks to transform children’s lives by engaging with (and requiring commitment by)…

Another short plane ride to Cape Town for our next round of conversations and site visits. Our arrival is met by a stunning sunset over Table Mountain, but our gazing is brief because shortly upon landing we meet colleagues for dinner to deepen our knowledge about the university mergers which took place in the early…