South Africa was a major focus for Global Affairs this month with the visit of a pan-University delegation to Cape Town to explore new engagement opportunities, the appointment of a new Director for Global Initiatives who is exploring options for establishing a University office there, and the announcement of a major philanthropic gift that, when complete, will help need based support scholarships for at least 20 undergraduates to study there each year.
Despite the substantial distance between Charlottesville and Cape Town and our extraordinarily different histories, our delegation found a remarkable convergence of academic interests and values, and an easy cultural affinity, with our South African counterparts. With representatives from the College, Engineering, the Center for Global Health Equity, and the International Studies Office, we met leaders at three of Cape Town’s leading Universities, including University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, and Stellenbosch University. The overlap in our research priorities with all three was remarkable — from data science, environmental sustainability, and equity in health care to civil engineering, community justice, and socially responsible commerce — all suffused with a dedication to serving the broader communities in which we live and work. We have much to learn and experience in South Africa, including its lessons in overcoming its painful history of apartheid, its vibrant humanities and arts scene, and the public policy challenges of overcoming severe income inequality and managing the rising threat of a changing climate
