The Club Assembly

Most members of the Club attended the Assembly last Saturday and it really did help in looking to the future with long and short term planning. There was a lot of healthy debate particularly during the "Vision Exercise" initiated by Ian Widdop. It certainly made us think a bit though Don Lindsay did ask the question as to whether we weren't putting ourselves in a straight jacket

that would stifle flexibility or just indulging in an exercise in semantics!

As a result we are lot clearer as to the way we are going and the nature of the projects we are seeking to promote.

Unfortunately Paul Kasango has not been well and had to leave early. No-one seems to know what the problem is despite various medical tests.

Our speaker last week, Trevor Boyd, gave us an interesting insight into the International Culinary Olympics and the South African Team. As is usual in a "minority sport" the available sponsorship is limited in comparison with our international rivals so every Gold Medal won by South Africa is a huge achievement.

The First Annual Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn Public Lecture in conjunction with The Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of the Witwatersrand will take place in the Council Chamber at Wits on Thursday 11th March at 18,00hrs.

"Demons & Democracy - Mobility and the Limits of Citizenship in Contemporary South Africa." by Professor Loren Landau, Director of the Forced Migration Studies Programme at the University of the Witwatersrand.

A number of Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars have undertaken courses of study under his direction so it is appropriate that he should be giving this lecture. Anyone is welcome to attend so please invite as many people as you like. Wits will circulate there list and we will do the same where the Rotary District is concerned.

Our speaker this week is Dr James Ellis, Director, Internationalisation, Division of Institutional Advancement, University of Johannesburg. This is what he has to say about himself...

At UJ, as Director of Internationalisation, I have been involved in the facilitation and establishment of a number of partnership agreements with international educational institutions and other organizations designed to develop the intercultural and international dimension of our core business. I have represented the University in a number of international conferences on internationalisation and have presented papers nationally and overseas, among others in Mexico, on internationalisation at conferences and colloquia.

In this way I have built up substantial expertise through several official university academic and management contacts, some at the highest managerial levels, at home and abroad, enabling me to play a role in facilitating the enhancement of the quality of academic programmes, facilitate joint research and mutual curriculum design and teaching, and to foster staff development. During this process I have established quite an extensive network of international contacts.

Since its establishment in 1997, I have been involved in the activities of the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) and served a term as the Vice-President of the Executive Committee and Convener for the sub-region covering Johannesburg, Vaal Triangle and North West Province areas. Until September 2006 I still held an Executive position, responsible for Special Projects, including Working Groups on National Policy on the Internationalisation of Higher Education and International Credentials Evaluation.

I have tabled a number of documents on the strategic role and nature of internationalization of the university, including the policy on internationalization, a proposal for establishing student mobility in the SADC region, a programme in international education as a study abroad opportunity and a proposal for a Senate Committee and the governance of internationalization.