University of Venda held a Transformative Internationalisation Week 2025

The University of Venda (UNIVEN) marked a new milestone in its journey towards global engagement with the successful conclusion of its fourth Internationalisation Week, held from 30 September to 2 October 2025 at the Research Conference Centre. The event, held under the theme ‘Building Global Bridges, Creating Shared Futures,’ was organised by the Directorate of International Relations and Partnerships within the Division of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Postgraduate Studies. It attracted a diverse group of local and international delegates, students, and policymakers for three days of strategic dialogue, capacity building, and celebration.

In his opening address, Mr Thabo Dikgale, Acting Director of International Relations and Partnerships, acknowledged the limited implementation of internationalisation efforts to date and called on faculties to fully embrace it as a core academic mission. He outlined three strategic priorities aligned with UNIVEN’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan: expanding joint research publications with global partners, developing joint degrees and collaborative programmes, and increasing international students’ enrolment to meet the SADC-mandated 5% target, which UNIVEN has yet to achieve.

Importantly, Dikgale stressed that UNIVEN’s internationalisation should be grounded in Africanism, decoloniality, and Ubuntu, thereby prioritising equitable South-South collaboration.

The first day focused on joint and collaborative degree programmes. Speakers included Dr Ahmed Shaikjee from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), who shared insights from UWC’s long standing partnership with Ghent University, resulting in 12 joint PhDs developed through a co-de-signed framework addressing accreditation, supervision, and examination alignment.

Dr Sibongile Manzini of Lupane State University (LSU) (Zimbabwe) highlighted the importance of heritage-based education and student-led innovation as drivers of development.

Representatives from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and Universities South Africa (USAf) clarified national regulatory frameworks and cautioned against ‘MoU tourism’-the signing of memoranda without meaningful implementation. A dynamic panel discussion featuring voices from the University of the Free State (UFS), UWC, and LSU acknowledged that while establishing joint degrees is complex and time-con-suming, often taking two to four years, such programmes bring deep academic, administrative, and cultural renewal.
The day concluded with the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Awards, recognising UNIVEN students who collaborated with peers from Coventry University (UK) and Cape Coast Uni-versity, Ghana.

Day two centred on the human dimension of internationalisation: supporting the international student experience. Presentations from Stellenbosch University (SU), Central University of Tech-nology (CUT), National University of Science and Technology (NUST)-Zimbabwe, and UNIVEN’s own Kha Ri Farane Buddy Programme demonstrated how peer-led initiatives promote belonging and intercultural competence. Students showcased projects related to food, art, language, and Indige-nous Knowledge Systems, including Venda beadwork and Congolese textiles.

Prof Joseph Francis, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Postgraduate Studies, re-minded participants that internationalisation must serve both African identity and global citizen-ship. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) provided guidance on visa compliance, emphasis-ing the 60-day renewal window to avoid deportation risks.

The day concluded with a lively student debate on geopolitics and South Africa’s economic sover-eignty, chaired by Mr Nyasha Mabuwa, Chairperson of the UNIVEN International Students Union.

The final day highlighted funding and mobility opportunities, including presentations on the UK’s Chevening Scholarships, Germany’s German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) postgraduate programmes, and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation/Horizon Europe re-search grants supporting African innovation.
A notable moment was the testimony of UNIVEN students from the Green Technology Confucius Institute, who shared experiences from their two-week immersion in Wuhan, China, including cultural reflections and Mandarin language learning, with calls for expanded language opportu-nities.

The internationalisation week concluded with the Launch of the Internationalisation Excel-lence Awards at the Gala dinner, held at the UNIVEN Auditorium. The ceremony brought together academics, students, and international partners from across Southern Africa, including delegations from LSU and local universities such as SU and CUT.

The awards recognise outstanding contributions to UNIVEN’s internationalisation journey across ten inclusive categories-ranging from International Student Support and Global Partnership De-velopment to Cultural Ambassador and Community Engagement in Internationalisation.

In his address, Acting Director, Mr Thabo Dikgale reflected on UNIVEN’s progress since establish-ing its International Office in 2011, noting that “internationalisation is no longer a privilege but a necessity for relevance and impact.” Keynote speaker Dr Julius Tapera of LSU spoke on “The Future of Higher Education in an Interconnected World”, emphasising South-South collaboration and the co-creation of knowledge across African institutions.

Prof Joseph Francis, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Postgraduate Studies, in his remarks, reminded attendees that internationalisation extends beyond travel; it includes lectur-ers who introduce global perspectives in rural classrooms, support staff assisting international students, and researchers tackling local challenges with global insight.
blended local rhythm with contemporary influences, beautifully capturing the university’s ethos of being “deeply local, boldly global. The Internationalisation Excellence Awards are set to be-come an annual celebration of inclusive, sustainable global engagement.

As UNIVEN advances its 2026-2030 Strategy, Internationalisation Week 2025 reaffirmed the uni-versity’s commitment to African-rooted, student-centred, and equity-driven global engagement; laying the foundation for deeper collaboration and impact in the years ahead.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb, echoed throughout the week.

Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding and Communication
University of Venda
Tel: 082 868 2218 / 082 868 1811