VC lauds student societies for internationalisation role

Internationalism links: (From left) Matthew Docherty (chairperson, Engineering Without Borders), Nhlanhla Nhlangothi (chairperson, Black Management Forum), VC Dr Max Price, Aba Aidoo (chairperson, Ghana Society), and Andrew Appiah'“Baiden (vice-president, Ghana Society).

Leading a student society at UCT can be demanding work, but it does come with its rewards.

One of the more immediate boons was a dinner hosted by Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price at his residence on 29 July for student leaders of societies with a global focus, from the Zimsocs and Namsocs of the campus to organisations such as UNASA (United Nations Association of South Africa), The Cape Town Globalist and the Black Management Forum.

The dinner was also an opportunity for the VC and students to meet and mingle and discuss the issues of the day.

But the invitation to Glenara was intended primarily for Price to honour and thank the student leaders for their additional commitment in taking on leadership positions in these student societies.

"Most [of these societies] have a link to internationalism, so most of you have some sense of the bigger world out there and the international community," Price said.

"And, as you know, that's been a very important part of the strategic goals for UCT, particularly over the past five years; to internationalise the university and especially to establish stronger links with the continent.

"In our strategic goals we say that we want to become an Afropolitan university, where our position globally is significantly informed by our connections to the continent.

"It really is an important part of fulfilling our role [as a university], and the roles that student societies play is equally important," said Price.

Story by Yusuf Omar, picture by Michael Hammond.