Norwegian cooperation with South Africa in the higher education sector aims to support national efforts towards equity and to enhance bilateral and regional cooperation in the area of higher education. You can access the Business Plan here.
Responsible Project Officer: Mr. Helge Stange
Norway and South Africa have signed several agreements of relevance to higher education and research. The Declaration of Intent in 2004 constitute a fundament for the Business Plan for higher education which were signed in 2006. They are expected to strengthen the basis for bilateral cooperation.
The South Africa – Norway Tertiary Education Programme (SANTED)
The SANTED programme (2000- 2010) seeks to address the problem of equity of access and retention, especially since previously disadvantaged groups and female students are under-represented in business, commerce, science, engineering and technology programmes, as well as in post-graduate programmes. Its purpose is thus to assist in transforming the South African Higher Education System.
Student access rates for historically excluded students in higher education are now significantly improved and the focus has been shifted to improving retention for the remaining period of the programme.
It is also an objective of SANTED to improve capacity development of historically disadvantaged institutions and to support implementation on the SADC protocol on higher education and co-operation between institutions in the SADC region.
The programme includes 10 projects involving 15 institutions. Two major access and retention projects are based at the former University of Durban Westwille, now University of Kwa Zulu Natal and the University of Western Cape. An example of collaboration between these universities and the University of Bergen was presented at the Ministerial Seminar in February 2004.
The SANTED programme is administered by the Center for Education Policy Development, Evaluation and Management (CEPD) on behalf of the Department of Education.
Results
The SANTED programme has since 2000 made significant progress in achieving its objectives. The Department of Education regards the Programme as one of its more successful interventions in the critical sphere of transformation.
Institutions that are giving high priority to capacity building are the University of Fort Hare and the University of Zululand. Both institutions are currently realigning their missions and strategies.
Some of the main achievements with regard to SADC co-operation have been:
- Establishment of working relationships between academics in the region
- Piloting of systems and processes to manage SADC projects
- Curriculum Development (MSc Rangeland Management, Economics, Team Teaching & Engineering)
- Human resource development, particularly in engineering and economics
- Promotion of research through upgrading of research infrastructure and provision of opportunities to showcase research
- Building capacity for team teaching
- Student cooperation and networking to combat AIDS
For more information about results from the programme, please refer to: SANTED Annual Consultation Report June 2007
The South Africa- Norway Tertiary Education Programme (SANTED) – CEDP homepage
The Norwegian Council for Higher Education’s Programme for Development Research and Education - NUFU
Funds for research co-operation between universities in South Africa and Norway are also channeled through NUFU. This is a Norwegian programme of academic research and educational co-operation based on equal partnerships between institutions in Norway and in the South.
The objective of the NUFU programme is to promote mutually beneficial co-operation based on priorities by the institutions in the South. Universities, university colleges and research institutions in Norway co-operate with corresponding institutions in the South, primarily in Africa south of Sahara, including South Africa, as well as in South East Asia, Central America and the Middle East.
South Africa is currently involved in 6 projects:
Results
Althogether 956 Ph.D. and Master candidates have been educated since the start in 1991. In 2003, 235 candidates were in the process of finalising their education. In the same period 3945 publications of different categories have been published.
NUFU co-operation has provided Norwegian research institutions with access to experience and materials that both enhance and challenge academic perspectives and provide favorable conditions for the development of new perspectives.
For detailed information and deadlines for proposals, please refer to the NUFU homepage.
Country specific information on cooperation in higher education and research administered by SIU
On behalf of Norad, the Norwegian centre for international cooperation in higher education (SIU) has developed an Internet-portal concerning higher education and research adapted to 19 of the Norwegian embassies in the South. With these pages we hope to make information regarding higher education and research in Norway, and its partner countries and institutions in the South more accessible.
The portal contains information about programmes and projects in the area of higher education and research, individual scholarship programmes, as well as editorial content and useful links. The information is guided towards embassy personnell, public and private institutions of higher education, future students and academics, as well as government officials and policy makers.
Sponsorships
Co-operational programmes that provide scholarships will be presented in the menu under sponsorships.