CIVIS Secretary General encourages Associate Member Universities in Africa to shape the future of the alliance together
Having spent time as a postgraduate in Mozambique in the early 2000s, mapping the floods, and in Botswana, Stefan Lang is an advocate for Africa. He now started a series of strategic visits to the CIVIS associate universities to strengthen collaboration, share best practices, and collectively envision the future of the alliance.
The commitment to reshape higher education and research together was highlighted during the visit to the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa:
We are excited to be associated with CIVIS, which gives us an opportunity to revisit how universities interact and collaborate and how knowledge and talent are shared globally. My sense is that a truly global network of universities must leverage the strengths of diverse educational systems while addressing local needs, and CIVIS provides the ideal vehicle in this moment in time. Now more than ever global solidarity and partnerships will be the lifeblood of thriving universities”, said professor Ruksana Osman, leader of Wits’ CIVIS association.
The Alliance Agreement with CIVIS was signed by Wits in 2024: “Although we have numerous direct partnerships with universities in the EU, this new agreement will institutionalise cooperation with the entire Alliance and its members. This is an opportunity for us to level the playing fields and to develop equal partnerships in unequal societies”, said back then Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal.
Awareness, engagement, equality
During the meetings, the leaders of CVIS Hubs 1, 2, 3 and 5 at Wits highlighted the lines of collaboration with the Alliance, looked deep into areas where collaboration can be improved and brainstormed on solutions:
- Fossil access and student mobility has produced publications within Hub2, that focuses on Society, culture, heritag
- Professor Turgay Celik, from of Hub 5, working on Digital and Technological transformation,underlined the need for targeted communications to academics to create awareness, enable, and drive the hubs;
- Infectious diseases such as HIV and TB is another network potential area, thinks Professor Yahya Choonara, Wits' leader of Hub 3 (that tackles Health), thus benifitting from Wits' strong research on this matter.
- Professor Ute Schwaibold, the local leader of Hub 1 on Climate, environment and energy, stressed the importance of internal communications amongst the hubs. “We’re working in silos,” she said;
- Professor Marion Bamford of the Evolutionary Studies Institute recommended detailed collaboration agreements before projects start.
Stefan Lang encouraged Wits academics to bring their ideas to the network: “Things are not set in stone and there is a willingness to change; we can modify. Staff exchange hubs are being built until October”, he explained.
BIPs potential
Another topic of the meetings were the Blended Intensive Programmes, one of CIVIC' big success stories, for which dual degrees are being explored:
This year, Wits students will get their degree certificate, as well as individual certificates,” said Dr Mahomed Moolla, the Wits-CIVIS originator.
Wits is the first host university of a CIVIS blended intensive programme in Africa. Maternal and neonatal vaccination has already started and it will end on the 25th of July, with the physical mobility week in Johannesburg.
PolyCIVIS' success story
Another key success story within the collaboration is CIVS alliance project PolyCIVIS, said Lang, underlining the importance of the polycrisis handbook, launched at the PolyCIVIS Conference in Dakar, this April:
Approaching these polycrises holistically is only possible if you have multiple cultures, and I think it is the answer. This is a big chance to bring in these different research traditions. Our experiences are different, but the vision and how to cope is a joint one", highlights Stefan Lang.
Wits administrative staff members have also started their collaboration with their European colleagues in CIVIS bodies, especially in the different Units.
The secretary-General of CIVIS aims for collaboration that builds trust and public engagement with Africa and sees the continuation of the Erasmus+ funding (CIVIS 3) as a "big chance to change the game". With the new generation of funding in preparation, we have the opportunity to shape the next generation of CIVIS together, concluded Lang.
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