The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) continued to strengthen its strategic collaboration with partners in South Africa this summer.
In May, Chancellor Dr. Robert Jones was part of a delegation from UIUC that visited the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the University of Pretoria (UP).
The objective of the visit was to explore opportunities for strategic and mutually beneficial collaborative initiatives with our partner institutions and other organizations.
The delegation also discussed joint opportunities that would bolster student mobility at the post-graduate level; researching other modes of collaboration across various disciplines; dissecting methods to address global issues such as inequality, poverty, climate and sustainability, and medicine; and developing multilateral joint research programs and fundraising for those programs.
The delegation representing UIUC included:
- Dr. Robert J. Jones, Chancellor, and Lynn Hassan Jones
- William Sullivan, Director of the Smart, Healthy Communities Initiative
- Rachel Switzky, Director, Siebel Center for Design and Michael Bobak
- Greg Polites, Executive Vice Dean, Carle Illinois College of Medicine
- JoAnn Archey, Chief Diversity Officer, Carle Illinois College of Medicine
- Matt Ando, Professor of Mathematics and Associate Dean for Life and Physical Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Dr. Sammer Jones, Director for Global Relations
In addition to visiting the two universities and meeting with university leadership, they also participated in Africa Week, the University of Pretoria’s biennial science leadership event.
From May 21 through May 26, UP in partnership with South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation and National Research Foundation, hosted a series of dialogues that revolved around the theme of “Open Africa, Open Science.”
The sessions explored the idea of science as a global public good through the lenses of the global open science movement and its importance for the continent.
Dr. Jones served as a moderator for one of the sessions in addition to participating in an open discussion during the final session of Africa Week.
About Vision 2030
The collaboration with UJ and UP is just one example of how UIUC is actively pursuing its Vision 2030.
Vision 2030 sets forth a commitment to expand and create comprehensive global learning, teaching, research and engagement opportunities for students, faculty and staff while embracing the responsibility to address emerging global trends and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
This vision outlines five key strategies: education for global citizenship; engagement for impact in the Global South; leadership for innovative partnership and development; education for inclusive excellence; and global excellence for the state of Illinois.
For more information on Vision 2030, visit: https://publish.illinois.edu/global-strategy/.
About the University of Johannesburg
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is one of the largest, multi-campus, residential universities in South Africa.
According to its bio, the university “seeks to achieve the highest distinction in scholarship and research within the higher education context.”
Noted for its strength in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, UJ offers a comprehensive menu of programs on a bedrock of distinguished scholarship, excellence in teaching, reputable research and innovation.
With a focus on identified research niche areas, community engagement and a commitment to internationalisation, UJ stands poised to address the challenges of the 21st century by combining the best of university and vocation-oriented education inherited from the years of experience of its constituting institutions.
About the University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria (UP) is one of Africa’s top universities. UP produces socially impactful research to find solutions for the world’s most pressing issues.
UP has a high quality of teaching and learning in the classroom, online, or in communities and supports students to graduate on time as well-rounded, responsible citizens fully prepared for the world beyond university.
The University of Pretoria is a multi-campus public research university in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa.
The university was established in 1908 as the Pretoria campus of the Johannesburg-based Transvaal University College and is the fourth South African institution to be awarded university status. The university has grown from the original 32 students in a single late Victorian house to approximately 53,000 in 2019.
Analicia Haynes is the storyteller and social media specialist for Illinois International. She can be reached at ahayn2@illinois.edu.
