The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy South Africa of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program focused on strengthening existing ties and fostering new collaboration between U.S. and African universities. Priority Region: Project activities must take place in South Africa and the United States, and be directed at South African audiences/participants. Program Objectives: The goal of the University Partnerships Initiative (UPI) is to strengthen existing ties and foster new collaboration between U.S. and South African universities. Focus areas include promoting faculty and student exchanges, facilitating joint research, building administrative capacity, and creating public-private partnerships. Program proposals should address how relationships between institutions will be sustained after U.S. government funded efforts are concluded. Specific Program Objectives: - Promote U.S.-South Africa faculty and student exchanges, particularly the development of dual degree programs that have South Africans complete their studies in their home country and address South Africa’s shortage of qualified academic staff. - Facilitate joint research, especially in agriculture, food security, and STEM. - Provide training and transfer skills in all aspects of university administration through subject-matter exchange programs. - Explore public-private partnerships, with an emphasis on commercialization, technology transfer, and job creation. Participants and Audiences: The intended audience is community college and university students, university administrators, corporations, the NGO sector, and USG alumni. Proposals that address linkages between South African technical universities and their American counterparts are strongly encouraged. Programs that create or grow linkages between academia and commerce are also encouraged. Applications should be emailed to
[email protected].