The University of Pretoria (UP) and US arts institution Guilford College recently signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate opportunities for student exchange and research collaboration.

The agreement comes after the two parties met at the recent United States-Africa University Partnership Initiative Summit, which showcased the achievements and lessons learned from US-SA projects. “I am confident that the outcomes of the summit and the formalisation of our institutional partnership will act as a driver to strengthen the US-SA Higher Education Network and catalyse new transformative partnerships between the United States and African institutions,” said Professor Tawana Kupe, UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

“Both our institutions have been central in driving the United States-South Africa Higher Education Network (US-SA HEN), which played an important role in driving the agenda for the summit,” he said. “The initiatives being implemented in the network, which include institutional capacity-building and scaling up the doctoral pipeline in South Africa, have made significant impact in the higher education landscape and society in general.”

The University’s partnership with Guilford College is especially significant for its African Global University Project (AGUP), a strategic initiative for transformative internationalisation and global engagement that aims to position UP as a Pan-African institution that builds strategic partnerships around the world. The collaborations forged by the AGUP seek to enhance the reach and relevance of UP, and facilitate innovation and thought leadership.

“Under the leadership of [college President] Prof Kyle Farmbry, Guilford College is positioned to be a key strategic partner for our AGUP strategy,” Prof Kupe said. “In particular, we hope to expand our partnership in building institutional research capacity at previously disadvantaged institutions in South Africa and historically black colleges and universities in the United States.”

Prof Kupe also acknowledged the strides and contribution Guilford College has made in empowering the youth. “The work that Guilford College has led in supporting student entrepreneurs through the US-SA Higher Education Network is also critically important for the University of Pretoria.” Given the youth unemployment rate in South Africa and Africa, Prof Kupe believes it is the responsibility of higher education institutions to drive entrepreneurship and innovation to increase human capital development. Thus, partnerships such as this are needed as they play a vital role in the creation of youth-led businesses and job creation for the youth in the country.

“l hope the formalisation of our relationship will provide impetus to strengthen and expand our bilateral engagements and partnerships across multiple platforms and geographies,” he said.