University of Cape Town / About the university / International Academic Programmes Office (IAPO)

Overview

IAPO highlights

2012| 2011| 2010| 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996

2012

Dr Loveness Kaunda retires after six years of service as director of IAPO
Dr Kaunda is succeeded by Professor Evance Kalula, who has served at UCT for more than 20 years
UCT hosted the 16th annual International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) conference http://youtu.be/hq3hUh3q_rs
UCT selected to lead African consortium in ARISE bid (EU funded intra-ACP programme), with a grant of EUR2 million, for staff and graduate student mobility in Africa
UCT promoted to South African coordinator for the ema2SA consortium (www.ema2sa.eu)
Director invited to present a paper at the Australian International Education conference
Director launched a special interest group, Internationalisation of the Curriculum, at the 16th annual IEASA conference
UCT joined the EU-SATURN consortium, for staff and graduate student mobility between South Africa and Europe (www.eu-saturn.eu/)
Worked with Centre for Open Learning to develop the cooperative 2013 July School with the London School of Economics
First Africa month highly successful
Donation drive: equipment donated to the Christine Revel children’s home in Athlone
Second annual African safari to East Africa attended by 13 academic staff
Relaunch of USHEPIA programme and website
IMAG questionnaire for the policy of internationalisation successful, with a 31% response rate
Road show for outgoing exchange students held on upper campus
Continued growth of incoming Students Abroad programme
IAPO holds its first refugee student support forum

2011

Establishment of the Worldwide University Network (WUN) steering group at UCT
UCT joined the ema2SA Erasmus consortium, for staff and graduate student mobility between South Africa and Europe (www.ema2sa.eu)
Director served on the Confucius Institute Board, UCT
Hosted WUN Understanding Cultures meeting, together with HUMA (Institute for Humanities in Africa), at UCT
Hosted WUN Global Health conference in COPD, together with IIDMM, at UCT
Internationalisation video launched, showcasing UCT as an international university (http://youtu.be/1455pk_Tr94)
Facilitated more than 100 individual and delegation visits to UCT from around the world.
IAPO offices relocated to Masingene Building, Level 3
IAPO hosts its first annual spring braai event
IAPO successfully lobbied the Department of Home Affairs to allow international students with pending visa applications to register
Two IAPO staff members elected to IEASA's Management Council and Director's Forum

2010

Largest intake of SSA students since the programme began
IEASA Golden Key award
VC grant to kickstart WUN activities
Independent survey on the strategic impact and value of the SSA programme done by Mthenthe
Total staff members: 27

2009

IAPO is awarded an IEASA/Golden Key award for excellence in internationalisation in the category of international students as a percentage of total student registrations
USHEPiA Planning group visited all partner universities as part of the review
UCT joined the World University Network (WUN)

2008

IAPO launches newsletter - World@UCT
IAPO and the Department of Student Affairs establish the International Students Forum
Work started on the IAPO database of UCT's international linkages
USHEPiA programme was prioritised on UCT's fundraising priority list of Alumni and Development. This means that UCT recognises USHEPiA as one of the key strategic thrusts
The Rockefeller Foundation funded the strategic review for the future of USHEPiA
Six USHEPiA fellows graduated with PHDs, plus one masters degree
UCT enrols 4 496 international students

2007

UCT hosts immigration legislation awareness seminar at UCT for Western Cape institutions together with the Department of Home Affairs
USHEPiA Future Strategy Conference held in November
USHEPiA Intellectual Property Project initiated
Three USHEPiA fellows graduated with PHDs
Eric Abrahams Academic Visitorships Programme launched for Scholars at Risk
UCT enrols 4 283 international students

2006

IAPO establishes the International Management Advisory Group to advise, and be a policy reference group for the DVC on internationalisation at UCT
IAPO celebrates its 10th anniversary
UCT's Internationalisation Policy is launched
The first Semester Study Abroad in Africa programme between the University of Cape Town and University of Dar-es-Salaam is launched - UCT/UDSM African Leadership Exchange Programme
IAPO welcomes 418 SSA students in the first semester; its highest ever number of SSA students in a semester
Total staff members: 23

2005

IAPO co-ordinates its first "Africa Day" celebrations
IAPO starts billing 1 000 international-term-fee accounts per annum
IAPO is awarded an IEASA Golden Key award for Excellence in Internationalisation in the Quality Information for International Students category
IAPO co-ordinates its first Refugee Students' Summit, attended by refugee students from institutions in the Western Cape
The USHEPiA Programme has awarded 21 PhD and 6 master's degrees since its inception
Total staff members: 22
UCT registers over 4 000 international students from 97 countries (full degree - 3 219, SSA - 709)

2004

Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo is appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International Relations, at UCT
IAPO hosts the 8th International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) conference at UCT
IAPO is awarded an IEASA / Golden Key award for Excellence in Internationalisation in the International Student Exchange Programme category
IAPO co-ordinates more than 30 inter-institutional memoranda of understanding and helps facilitate a further 42 UCT departmental and faculty agreements
Total staff members: 19
Total international students: 3 485

2003

The USHEPiA Programme has its first external evaluation
IAPO hosts staff members from the University of Port Harcourt (Nigeria) on a 3-month academic exchange programme
Total staff members: 19
International full-degree students now nearly 3 000 from 92 different countries
SSA student numbers now nearly 450.

2002

IAPO organises its first "World at UCT" / International Week event
IAPO's first "Come and See for Yourself" exercise is launched and attended by staff members from partner institutions in the USA and Norway
Total staff members: 18
Total international students: 2 748
1 000 students have come on the SSA programme since its inception.

2001

IAPO runs planning workshops at USHEPiA partner universities for a major proposal on "Applying Biotechnology to Poverty in Africa" to explore the possibilities offered by international multidisciplinary research projects within the programme
The USHEPiA programme in partnership with the Association of African Universities launches a pilot opportunity to build up an African research ethic in the areas of science, engineering and humanities
Total staff members: 14
Total international students: 2 507

2000

Draft policy on internationalisation at UCT is presented to UCT's senior executive
The African Academic Links Programme is created within IAPO to focus on relationships with other African universities
IAPO co-ordinates a joint South African Department of Education / UNESCO pilot fellowship scheme of African academic exchange. 30 Fellowships are awarded to senior African academics to spend up to 6 months doing research at one of the (then) 5 Western Cape higher-education institutions.
Total staff members: 13
Total international students: 2 414

1999

IAPO runs its first "Home Affairs" week in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs, enabling international students to renew their study permits on campus
IAPO conducts its first visit to a European partner institution: University of Leiden
IAPO's first attendance at the European Association for International Education (EAIE) Conference in Maastricht, Netherlands
IAPO appoints a SADC Student Officer
IAPO organises the Emerging African Leaders' Working Forum Seminar at UCT.
UCT was certified to administer the US Federal Aid (Stafford Loans).
Total staff members: 11
Total international students: 2 208

1998

IAPO runs its first international students' pre-registration process to check study permits and fee payments
IAPO launches its Semester Study Abroad (SSA) Programme with 152 students.
First IAPO attendance at the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) Conference held in Pretoria
First IAPO attendance at NAFSA Conference, USA
USHEPiA partner universities conduct an internal evaluation of the programme at UCT
Total staff members: 7
Total international students: 1 997

1997

IAPO welcomes its second cohort of USHEPiA Fellows (humanities).
IAPO publishes its first international student booklet.
The Council for International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and IAPO sign an agreement to host a study centre for study-abroad students at UCT
Total staff members: 5
Total international students: 1 630

1996

The International Academic Programmes Office is established at UCT with Ms Lesley Shackleton as founding director
IAPO welcomes its first cohort of USHEPiA Fellows (science and engineering). (The USHEPiA Programme participating universities are the Universities of Cape Town, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Dar-es-Salaam, Nairobi and Zambia, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Nairobi) and Makerere University, Uganda)
Total staff members: 3
Total international students: unknown