Stellenbosch University concludes agreement with black universities in the USA

Stellenbosch University (SU) has concluded a cooperation agreement with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), a body representing nearly 300 000 students from 47 Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) in the US.

The agreement provides for exchange programs between SU and individual TMCF member schools. It applies to students, academics and researchers, and also allows for the exchange of academic information and material, as well as joint research projects.

From left, Mr Jim Clifton, Chairman of the TMCF and CEO of Gallup, Prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU, Dr N Joyce Payne, founder of the TMCF, and Mr Johnny C Taylor jr, President and CEO of the TMCF, at the signing of the agreement in Washington, DC.

“We are excited about this agreement. It fits in with SU’s strategy of forging stronger bonds with other African universities. Africans in the diaspora – such as those at TMCF member schools – are part of this,” said Professor Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU.

The agreement was signed in Washington, DC, by Professor Botman and Mr Johnny C Taylor Jr, President and CEO of the TMCF, on 18 May 2011. This was preceded by a presentation by Professor Botman to TMCF’s Board of Directors on SU’s HOPE Project, a campus-wide initiative through which the institution is tackling serious developmental challenges in society.

“For the last 18 months, we have been searching the world for renowned universities with whom we could build comprehensive partnerships to encourage bilateral student and faculty exchanges, as well as to jointly pursue innovative research project collaborations. After visiting Stellenbosch University, it became clear that we had found such a university,” said Mr Taylor.

Ms Annamia van den Heever, Director of Development and Alumni Relations at SU, said the agreement had been welcomed by Mr George Monyemangene, South Africa’s Consul-General in New York.

“Mr Monyemangene, who has a background in economic development in Africa, said that cooperation between South Africa and American universities would benefit both countries.”

The cooperation agreement will be coordinated by Mr Robert Kotzé, Director of SU’s Postgraduate and International Office, and Dr N Joyce Payne, founder of the TMCF. The TMCF is particularly interested in collaborating on water and sustainability projects.

The TMCF was named after Judge Thurgood Marshall, who became the first African- American member of the US Supreme Court in 1967. He passed away in 1993. According to the TMCF website, he is remembered for, among other things, his success in 1954 in Brown v Board of Education. This case overturned the “separate but equal” doctrine and ended racial segregation in American education.

“We are more than confident that the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, with its vision of ‘Changing the World … One Leader at a Time’, and Stellenbosch University, with its HOPE Project, will be able to build a program that will serve as the model for higher education international collaborations,” said Mr Taylor.

A map of the US showing the location of the institutions with which SU will be cooperating in terms of its agreement with the TMCF.

TMCF member schools are: Alabama State University, Albany State University, Alcorn State University, Bluefield State College, Bowie State University, Central State University, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Chicago State University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Florida A&M University, Florida A&M University Law School, Fort Valley State University, Grambling State University, Harris-Stowe State University, Howard University, Howard University School of Law, Jackson State University, Kentucky State University, Langston University, Lincoln University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Medgar Evers College, Mississippi Valley State University, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina Central University School of Law, Prairie View A&M University, Savannah State University, South Carolina State University, Southern University and A&M College, Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University at Shreveport-Bossier City, Southern University Law Center, Tennessee State University, Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Tuskegee University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, University of District of Columbia, University of District of Columbia Law, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, University of Virgin Islands, Virginia State University, West Virginia State University, Winston-Salem State University and York College.

According to Ms Huba Boshoff, Exchange Coordinator at the Postgraduate and International Office, SU also has student exchange agreements with the following US higher education institutions: Appalachian State University, Clemson University, Kennesaw State University, Montana State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Arizona, the University of Indianapolis, the University of Mississippi, the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and West Virginia University. There is also cooperation between the English departments of SU and New York University.