Historic partnership signed between UP and Coptic Orthodox Theological School in the US

The Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria (UP) is proud to announce the signing of a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril Theological School (ACTS) in California, USA, one of the leading theological training institutions of the Coptic Orthodox Church. This MoU, signed on 3 November 2025 in Pretoria during an official visit by His Grace Bishop Kyrillos, marks the first formal partnership of its kind between the two institutions – and the first time the UP Faculty of Theology and Religion has entered an academic partnership with an Orthodox theological school.

The partnership is particularly significant in that it brings into collaboration the Coptic Christian tradition, which has its deep roots in Africa, specifically Egypt, with Africa’s leading Faculty of Theology and Religion at UP. It signals a meaningful movement of African Christian heritage reconnecting across continents, strengthening academic exchange and deepening theological engagement across diverse Christian traditions.

The vision for this collaboration began several years ago with Prof Chris L. de Wet, Head of the Department of New Testament and Related Literature at UP, and his former PhD student Fr. Dr. David Elias, who serves within the Coptic Orthodox Church and academic community abroad. Their shared academic work, deep collegiality, and commitment to cross-traditional dialogue laid the foundations of the dream.

With the support and leadership of Prof Rantoa Letşosa (Dean) and Prof Dirk Human (Deputy Dean for Research and Internationalisation) at UP, together with His Grace Bishop Kyrillos, the General Bishop of Christian Education for the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii and Dean of ACTS, this dream has now become a reality. Bishop Kyrillos travelled personally to Pretoria to sign the MoU, symbolising the seriousness and depth of the collaboration.

A new phase of academic and research collaboration

The MoU establishes:

• joint PhD supervision arrangements between senior academics of both institutions;
• opportunities for postgraduate study pathways and research collaboration; and
• the development of sustained research exchange in areas of shared strength, particularly in early Christianity and biblical studies.

One of the strategic goals of the Department of New Testament and Related Literature at UP is to strengthen research and teaching in early Coptic Christianity and to develop capacity for teaching the ancient Coptic language. Coptic Christianity represents one of the oldest living Christian traditions, preserving ancient liturgies, monastic wisdom, and theological writings that continue to shape spirituality and ecclesial life worldwide today. The Coptic language, a final stage of ancient Egyptian, is a rare and highly specialised field of study, essential for engaging primary sources in early African Christianity.

“Developing expertise in Coptic studies is not simply about adding another discipline to our curriculum,” Prof De Wet notes. “It is about reclaiming and teaching an African Christian heritage that is too often underrepresented in global theological education. This partnership helps us realise that vision in a deeply collaborative way.”

A step toward a truly ecumenical African theological future

This partnership aligns with the Faculty’s ongoing commitment to ecumenical engagement, international academic collaboration, and the expansion of postgraduate theological excellence. The collaboration with ACTS strengthens UP’s position as a leading centre of research on the early church, Christian origins, and African Christian traditions.

“This MoU marks an exciting and historic moment,” said Dean Rantoa Letsosa. “We look forward to a relationship characterised by mutual respect, shared research, and the development of new scholarly pathways between our communities.”