News, May 2017
In 2014 Prof Jan Botha was contracted by the DHET to lead a task team to develop a national policy for South Africa on joint and double degrees with foreign universities. On completion of a draft policy for that purpose, the DHET requested him during 2016 to lead the process to develop a comprehensive policy framework for the internationalisation of South African higher education. He was supported by Dorothy Stevens, head of Stellenbosch University’s (SU’s) Postgraduate Office, and Huba Boshoff of SU International. Based on a study of similar policy frameworks in other countries, as well as workshops with national and institutional stakeholders and with officials of the DHET during 2016, Prof Botha and his team drafted a high-level policy framework covering various dimensions of the internationalisation of higher education, including student and staff mobility; international research collaboration; cross-border and collaborative provision of higher education; governance, administration and reporting on internationalisation; internationalisation at home and the internationalisation of the curriculum; and the accreditation and quality assurance of internationalisation. The purpose of the policy framework is to provide high-level principles and guidelines, to set broad parameters, and to provide a national framework within which higher education institutions can develop and align their institutional internationalisation policies and strategies. The internationalisation of higher education happens primarily at institutional level, while Government plays a supportive and facilitative role. After approval by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, the Draft Policy Framework was published a few days ago in the Government Gazette (No 40815, 28 April 2017), with a call to all stakeholders to comment before the policy is finalised.
