THREE-SIXT-E | ALUMNI E-NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13/JUNE 2015
ALUMNI E-NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13/JUNE 2015
Contact the Alumni Relations Office: Tel: +27 21 959 2143 | Fax: 021 959 9791 | Email: alumni@uwc.ac.za | www.uwc.ac.za/alumni http://twitter.com/UWConline | http://www.facebook.com/uwcalumni
UWC Bridging International Borders
UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Tyrone Pretorius, exchanges gifts with Liang Shugen, the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China, in Cape Town during the China Week celebrations.
Relations strengthened with China As members of the BRICS association of developing countries, South Africa and China have many potential opportunities to offer each other in fields such as culture, education, health and the economy. In April 2015, UWC became the first university in South Africa to host China Week as part of nation-wide events held to celebrate China Year in South Africa. Last year China celebrated South Africa Year, with both initiatives intended to promote relations between the countries. The week-long celebration kicked off with a visit by a high-level Chinese delegation, including Liang Shugen, the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in South Africa, Hu Jianhua, the Chairperson of the Cape Town branch of the All Africa Association for the Peaceful Reunification of China. The event was also attended by representatives of UWC’s Economic and Management Sciences and Community and Health Sciences faculties and Ghaleeb Jeppie, Chief Director of International Relations at the Department of Higher Education and Training. Among other activities, several presentations on aspects of the China-South Africa relationship were made. There were also
Tai Chi training sessions, Chinese food tasting, Chinese language workshops, and orientation sessions on Chinese medicine and acupuncture. The purpose of China Week, according to Leolyn Jackson, Director of UWC’s International Relations Office, was to promote closer collaboration between the University community and the Western Cape Chinese community in the areas of higher education, cultural exchange and health management. The initiative also provided local students with the opportunity to experience Chinese culture. “Through events like China Week,” says Jackson, “we want our students to value diversity of language and culture, and appreciate the importance of multicultural diversity to professional practice and citizenship.” China has become South Africa’s largest trading partner and South Africa is China’s largest trading partner in Africa. Through the UWC Chinese Students Society, which was founded in 2005, UWC has established relationships with the Ministry of Education in China, the China Scholarship Council, Chinese Language Council and the Chinese Embassy in South Africa. It has signed agreements with two universities in China and there has been considerable growth in Chinese student enrolment, especially in master’s, PhD and postdoctoral programmes. PAGE ONE