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UFS publishes document that aids universities to internationalise the curriculum

11 July 2023 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

iKudu Coil Chevon Slammbee — Chevon Slambee says the COIL approach connects students and educators from different cultural backgrounds through online platforms, allowing participants to engage in cross-cultural learning and collaboration.

Internationalisation of the curriculum has been mandatory for institutions of higher education since 2020, according to the National Policy Framework for the Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa.

The iKudu project, an Erasmus+Capacity-Building in Higher Education (CBHE) co-funded project, which aims, among others, for universities to include internationalisation and decolonisation dimensions to transform their curricula, recently published the document: Considerations for enabling guidelines, strategies, and policies for internationalised curriculum renewal for universities with a focus on the diverse South African contexts.

The University of the Free State (UFS) Office for International Affairs (OIA) played a key role in the publication of this document.

In his editorial of the document, Dr Cornelius Hagenmeier, Director of the OIA, states that in the spirit of the iKudu values – which include Ubuntu, trust, and equality – the project stakeholders have developed a document that will serve as a repository of ideas from which all consortium member universities can intelligently borrow when developing their institutional guidelines, strategies, and policies for curriculum renewal, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), or other forms of virtual exchange.

He says they are publishing this document to make the ideas available to the broader higher education community, in the hope that they will contribute to further debate on internationalised curriculum renewal processes.

The iKudu project is one of the few major EU-funded capacity-building projects coordinated by a South African university.

UFS coordinates iKudu

According to Chevon Slambee, iKudu Project Manager in the UFS OIA, the consideration document serves as a guiding document for all universities, but specifically focuses on South African universities, taking into account the unique and diverse contexts of South Africa’s higher education landscape and how these contexts influence the curriculum renewal processes.

Slambee explains that the COIL approach connects students and educators from different cultural backgrounds through online platforms, allowing participants to engage in cross-cultural learning and collaboration within the existing curriculum.

Through joint projects, shared courses, and virtual exchanges, it aims to foster intercultural competence, global awareness, and mutual understanding among students. Moreover, the initiative creates inclusive opportunities for all students who take part in COIL, as the inequalities due to financial resources are factored out. “It expands the classroom beyond classroom borders, and grants students the opportunity to engage in a digital international world,” says Slambee.

The five participating South African universities – the UFS, Durban University of Technology, University of Limpopo, University of Venda, and the Central University of Technology – together with the five European universities – the University of Siena (Italy), Coventry University (England), The Hague University of Applied Sciences (The Netherlands), Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (The Netherlands), and the University of Antwerp (Belgium) – have implemented 51 of their target of 55 COIL programmes, with almost 10 months remaining in the project. “For us, this is a milestone in the iKudu journey,” says Slambee.

Sharing COIL experiences

One of the UFS lecturers who completed a COIL project is Prof Mariette Reyneke, Associate Professor in the UFS Department of Public Law.

Prof Reyneke recently completed her second COIL experience, this time with Prof Alessandra Viviani from the University of Siena. She says one of the best aspects of this initiative is giving our students the opportunity to broaden their horizons by exposing them to peers from a different country and culture. “Moreover, one also gets to expose students from developed countries to the realities and challenges of a developing country,” she adds.

“Through this initiative, we also get the chance to teach South African students that they have valuable contributions to offer the world. In some instances, our legal solutions to problems are fascinating and enriching for international students. Our theory and implementation of human rights are also sometimes more liberal than what students from Europe experience in their own countries,” says Prof Reyneke, who believes that COIL fosters an innovative and enriching experience for students, while also enhancing academic networks.

“It was very satisfying for me to realise that the students not only enjoyed the experience, but also found it beneficial for their personal growth,” she remarks.

Moving forward, Slambee says the OIA is working closely with the Centre for Teaching and Learning and is in the process of establishing a COIL/virtual engagement hub for the university. Furthermore, the Curriculum Internationalisation Project (CIP) has been approved and is being piloted in specific departments and faculties. For more information about the CIP, contact Prof Lynette Jacobs, Slambee, or Nooreen Adam from the OIA.

News Archive

Statement on protest at the UFS

2005-03-04

Following a protest by student and non-student organisations today, the management of the University of the Free State (UFS) would like to place the following facts on record:

1. There is a well-documented process underway to further transform the UFS. At the official opening of the UFS on 4 February 2005 , the Rector and Vice-chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie, announced that the UFS would draft a comprehensive Transformation Plan to guide the next phase of transformation at the institution.

The UFS appeals to student formations, staff associations, trade unions and other role-players to make a constructive input into this Transformation Plan.

The UFS management has been - and always will be - willing to engage with role-players and is prepared to do so even after today’s protest.

2. There is thus no regulation or policy prescription which separates students in hostels according to race.

The reality is that students exercise their freedom of choice as to which hostel they wish to be placed in. This was agreed upon by black and white students in 1997/8.

However, the unintended consequence and practice of this hostel placement policy has been that students themselves have tended to choose to stay in hostels which have over time become black hostels and white hostels.

This is a matter of concern for the management of the UFS as such a situation does not promote interaction across language, cultural and socio-economic groupings of students.

This matter is receiving attention and an intensive consultative process, which will include students, will be launched to review this policy.

The management is convinced that such interaction will enhance the learning experience of all students and sensitise them to the reality of a multicultural South Africa and a multicultural world.

3. No student organisation has been banned from operating at any of the three campuses of the UFS.

In the past few weeks, SASCO, the Young Communist League and the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) have held meetings on all three campuses, namely the Qwaqwa campus, the Vista campus and the main campus.

There are also regular interactions between top management and the leadership of SASCO and the ANCYL on campus.

In fact, the UFS upholds the right of students and staff to associate freely and to organise themselves as they see fit.

The UFS also upholds the rights of staff and students to engage in legal and peaceful protests.

The management however remains committed to discussing issues that affect staff and students in a constructive manner and appeals to student organisations in this case to engage with management.

4. The issues of registration, fees, debt and financial aid are continually monitored, and interventions to assist students are made regularly. To assist as far as possible those academically deserving students who face financial difficulties, the UFS management has put in place a structure called the Monitoring committee that includes management and student representatives.

The purpose of the Monitoring Committee is to review the cases of individual students to determine how best they can be assisted.

This applies to the Qwaqwa campus, the Vista campus and the main campus.

It is generally the case that students who perform academically will not have any difficulty in obtaining financial assistance. However, according to the requirements of National Student Financial Scheme, students who perform poorly will have difficulty in obtaining such assistance.

5. With regard to student governance, the process to institute an inclusive Central Student Representative Council (SRC), on which all three campuses will be equitably represented, was launched in July 2004, and a preliminary constitution has just been drafted. At the same time an inclusive process to review certain elements of the constitution of the main campus SRC was initiated at the end of 2004. This process, which includes all relevant student organisations and structures, is planned to produce an outcome within the next couple of months.

6. There is no policy at the UFS that is based on racism or that discriminates on the basis of the race of students and staff.

As part of the building of a new institutional culture within the broader transformation process, the UFS management is determined to eradicate all elements of racism that may occur on its campuses, and has already instituted inclusive forums on campus to discuss the issue of values and principles for a non-racial university.

Issued by: Mr Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
Cell: 072 207 8334
Tel: (051) 401-2749
4 March 2005

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