Partnerships are key to driving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063 for higher education institutions, and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has strengthened its long-term collaborations with the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL).

This week, the two institutions’ Offices of Deputy Vice-Chancellors for Research explored further grounds for networking and collaborations when a delegation from Norway touched down on campus.

Making a difference through societal impact and common values is what the partnership is built on. UWC has a slogan of, “from hope to action through knowledge,” and the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences’ vision is, “knowledge that shapes the people and society.”  

This speaks to a common vision and values that drive an institution in the South and an institution in the North.

The three-day visit of HVL started on Tuesday, 7 October and ended on 10 October 2023 - from visiting the UWC main campus to off-campus site visits such as the UWC Bellville Campus and the Greatmore Humanities Hub building in Woodstock, which is the first arts and humanities research hub in the city for UWC.

Through this partnership, the two institutions engaged in social responsibility activities that speak to SDG 14, which focuses on clean oceans in 2022.

This year, the two institutions are driving two of the five P’s (People, Peace, Partnerships, Planet and Prosperity) of the SDGs, focusing on people and partnerships where they share the best practices in the areas of library, technology (knowledge) transfer and student and staff mobility. 

As UWC and HVL explored options and best practices, they also tapped into lessons learnt from COVID-19, where they can use a hybrid/blended approach to internationalisation. Professor José Frantz, DVC: Research and Innovation at UWC, expressed: “We consider shorter stays with greater impact when we discuss staff and student mobility.”

Elin Kvaale, Head of HVL’s International Relations/Division of Research and Innovation, noted: “I am incredibly happy that we managed to do the visit to establish links and cooperation between the people who support the researchers and the academics in their international engagements. We are both the glue and the oil in forming the collaboration. The experience has been great, and the programme has met our expectations. Different units and offices can connect on so many levels.”

Halvard Ones, Head of International Mobility and Exchange Agreements at HVL, said: “There have been fantastic discussions and engagements; the corporation between UWC and HVL is a long-term strategic partnership and intentional collaboration. This administrative-level approach is a new avenue for us. We normally engage with international institutions in an academic context, so it's interesting to see how it all works together. We can already see the connections between the school of nursing and student mobility.”

Turid Bogetvedt Hitland, HVL’s Library Director, commented: “This experience has been refreshing, and knowing that we have similar challenges. We are not very different, and we are dealing with the same issues. We have a lot to engage in, learn from and ideas to share on how to deal with through collaboration. The SDGs are a big eye-opener for us and the way we do things. We have never looked at it in the way UWC does. We have a lot to learn from each other.”

As the two institutions continue to drive partnerships and internationalisation, they agree it must involve all stakeholders.