International Networks and Capacity Programmes

YEBO! means YES! in Zulu it is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building project coordinated by the University of Montpellier. This project was launched in December 2017.

The main purpose of the YEBO! project is to foster and develop the internationalization of doctoral studies in South Africa. The project addresses the internationalization needs by promoting doctoral studies, to give better access to necessary information and train supervisors.  The expertise brought by EU partners with the internationalization of their own doctoral studies, combined with the experience from the three non-university partners will provide valuable input to the SA universities so as to accomplish these goals.

Since its inception, the project has evaluated the partners’ internationalisation rate, created a PhD portal and the organised a number of training sessions and will host a final conference by the end of 2020.

Internationalisation and Modernisation Programme for Academics, Leaders and Administrators

The IMPALA project is an Erasmus + Key Action 2: Capacity Building in Higher Education programme, funded by the European Commission. The name of the projects is self-explanatory and it met its ultimate goal which is to assist develop policies and strategies and then translate them into action, and to lay the foundation of a solid partnership of a European network of universities and a South African network of universities that will engage in consortium-to-consortium cooperation initiatives.

The project carried to completion themes: Strategies and Site Visits, Short Term Programmes including Summers Schools, Project Writing and Management, a Mobility Toolkit and Internationalisation of the Curriculum.

The IMPALA project is composed of nine partners: five European higher education organisations (University of Antwerp, University of Bologna, University of Graz, Utrecht Network, Academic Cooperation Association – ACA) and four South African universities (Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of Limpopo, University of Fort Hare, University of Venda). The project also includes one associated partner, the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) which supports the network by disseminating information and good practices within South African HEIs.

The South Africa-Sweden University Forum

 The South Africa-Sweden University Forum (SASUF) is a strategic internationalisation project from 2017 to 2020. It aims to strengthen partnerships between the 37 South African and Swedish partner Universities in research, education, and innovation. This collaboration includes embassies, civil society organisations, funding agencies, and ministries in both countries.

SASUF has a budget of 22 000 000 SEK and is funded by STINT (the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education), the participating universities, the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Department of Higher Education & Training in South Africa (DHET).

 Since its inception, CPUT's participation in SASUF has resulted in our researchers engaging in research with the partner universities, hosting and participating in seminars, benefiting from funding for research projects, and enabling student and staff mobility. This platform has been crucial in allowing our researchers to connect with other researchers, ministries, and funding agencies working towards addressing the objectives of the SDGs.

Partners:

Sweden:

Uppsala University (coordinator), Lund University, Karlstad University, KI – Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Linköping University, Malmö University, Stockholm University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå University, University of Gothenburg, University West, Örebro University

South Africa:

Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Central University of Technology, Durban University of Technology, Nelson Mandela University, North West University, Rhodes University, Sol Plaatje University, Stellenbosch University, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Cape Town, University of Fort Hare, University of the Free State, University of Johannesburg, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Limpopo, University of Mpumalanga, University of Pretoria, University of South Africa, University of the Western Cape, University of Venda, University of Witwatersrand, University of Zululand, Vaal University of Technology, Walter Sisulu University

University Capacity Development Programme

CPUT, together with the University of the Witwatersrand as lead partner, University of Limpopo, Stellenbosch University, the University of Western Cape and Loughborough University as UK Technical Partner, responded to the call for application for Phase 2 of the UCDP, which focuses on collaboration between South African universities and universities in the United Kingdom in support of Doctoral training for university academic staff exploring various models for Doctoral training. This unique six-university consortium will foster the development of a cohort of ten interdisciplinary next-generation researchers to obtain doctoral degrees and benefit from the quality and breadth of experience necessary to support the conduct of original and innovative research related to "Health, Wellness, Sport and Exercise" across South Africa. The project funds will support meritorious staff at South African universities (with students recruited from each South African University, from Health Sciences and Engineering disciplines) to register for joint doctoral degrees with Loughborough University (LU). They will be afforded international mobility opportunities and conduct research for at least one year at LU.

This project aligns with the University Capacity Development Programme goals in the following ways:

1. It will accelerate the number of academic staff who hold doctorates. The selection of "high flyer" candidates will ensure they become influential drivers of new knowledge production within the higher education science and innovation system.
2. It will address the imperative of transformation in higher education in South Africa. We have established an SC to ensure the selected candidates are at least 80% black and 50% female.
3. The project has maximised the funding available to enable economies of scale. All participating Institutions have committed additional funding to ensure the success of this initiative.
4. We have agreed to an equal partnership and a commitment to mutual benefit for all parties involved.

This consortium is unique because it is the first time the five South African universities will collaborate on one project and in solid partnership with LU. Each university partner will be equally responsible and accountable for the successful completion of the PhD candidates and will participate in a supervisory capacity, whether providing the more experienced senior or junior/novice supervisors. This aims to promote collaboration and entrench the SA-SA and SA-UK partnerships beyond the project's life. Overall, successful implementation and completion of the project will contribute -to achieving the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals 1 to 5, 8 and 10.

CPUT is a proud Southern African–Nordic Centre (SANORD) member. This centre is committed to advancing strategic, multilateral academic collaboration between institutions in the Southern African and Nordic regions as we seek to address new local and global challenges of innovation and development. Its activities are based on fundamental values of democracy, social equity, academic engagement, and the relationships of trust built between the regions over time. SANORD aims to bring together the leadership of Nordic and Southern African higher education institutions and research for dialogue, planning and joint endeavours. SANORD is a collaboration platform where scholars of Nordic and Southern African institutions of higher education and research jointly address relevant research issues about the SANORD mission, and it will ensure that in most SANORD activities, at least 30% of the participants from southern institutions are women.