Hamburg Networking ConferenceFrom individual partnerships to international university network

18 October 2021, by Christina Krätzig

Photo: Stellenbosch University

Robert Kotzé is Senior Director of Stellenbosch University International at Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa.

The Department of International Affairs at Universität Hamburg is organizing the Hamburg Networking Conference (HNC) for the second time from 18 to 22 October. Universität Hamburgs strategic and thematic international university partners are invited. Participants from 23 universities from 16 countries will attend digitally. The goal is to spur on and increase multilateral collaboration within the network.

Three questions for Robert Kotzé, responsible for the topic of internationalization at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, which will also take part in the Hamburg Networking Conference (HNC).

Mr Kotzé, how important is international collaboration for universities?

International collaboration is important for delivering quality education on all levels and to contribute to the global knowledge economy. On the level of learning and teaching, it is important for developing the global skills and intercultural awareness of incoming and outgoing students, enhancing their employability. On the level of research and innovation, it is important for building strong research groups and bringing (complementary) expertise together to address global issues. And on the level of social impact, it is important for local, regional and continental development, especially for an institution based in Africa, like Stellenbosch University.

What opportunities does the Hamburg Networking Conference offer?

The opportunity lies in the word “networking”. Yes, it is about a group of universities sharing experiences and talking about opportunities – a network. But it is more about the action of networking:

• Engaging with an institution and the colleagues – our fellow internationalisation practitioners
• Learning about an institution and from the colleagues
• Building trust in an institution and in the colleagues

The 2019 opened doors to new bilateral partners, which unfortunately could not be exploited to the full – the pandemic forced us all to look a bit inwards– some navel-gazing, and we are only now building momentum to “build back better”. The upcoming HNC has the potential to provide that space we need, albeit virtually. We should use the opportunities to build new and to strengthen partnership capital.

What topics are the most important for your university in terms of international collaboration?

I am linking it to the topics in the programme:

• Global Community-Engaged Learning – it links to our drive to continuously develop our global learning outcomes to add to our graduate attributes.
• Fostering Researchers for Tomorrow: The Hamburg Research Academy – it links to our work to capacitate emerging scholars at the African Doctoral Academy.
• Internationalization of Teacher Education: Time to Cut the Gordian Knot? – it links to our drive to unlock international opportunities for “under-represented” (regarding internationalisation) subject fields.