Dr Harlan Cloete, Research Fellow at the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies (CGAS) at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been invited to serve as a board member on the International Advisory Board on Rotterdam’s Cultural Transition (IABx2025). The board will convene in Rotterdam from 2 to 5 July 2025. 

Dr Cloete will join a group of ten cultural leaders from around the globe who have been selected for their expertise in cultural governance and public administration. 

Shaping cultural policy on a global stage 

“IABx2025 is an initiative led by the municipality of Rotterdam that aims to shape long-term cultural policy through a global, cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas,” Dr Cloete explains.  

His invitation to join the board recognises his work and expertise in public governance, systems change, and institutional accountability. 

The programme will feature a range of activities, including closed working sessions, site visits, presentations and talks, all designed to immerse board members in Rotterdam’s cultural ecosystem. The goal is to collaboratively shape the city’s future cultural infrastructure and policies.  

The cohort will also engage with local organisations and political leaders to gain insight into the lived experiences of Rotterdam’s residents.  

“I’m really delighted to have been selected and am very much looking forward to learning, adding value and sharing the South African experience,” says Dr Cloete. 

Bringing global insights back home 

Dr Cloete sees numerous benefits in participating in an initiative of this magnitude. 

“As a scholar of local governance, I hope to return and share what I’ve observed with municipalities here in South Africa - and perhaps even explore opportunities for cultural exchange or municipality twinning,” he says.  

He believes that contributing to this global dialogue not only supports his own research but also reflects positively on the UFS and CGAS’s commitment to engaged scholarship and international collaboration.