A postgraduate student and a staff member from the University of Fort Hare in South Africa have become the first two exchange visitors to the University of Queensland under a new Federal program to link Australian and South African higher education institutions.
The focus will be on strengthening the capacity of South African universities to support their rural reconstruction and development programs.
Senior lecturer in agricultural economics Dr Gavin Fraser and masters in animal pasture science student Nokuzola Mgxashe are the first South Africans to visit Australia under the Australia South Africa Institutional Links Program funded by AusAID.
The program, valued at $200,000 over three years, involves reciprocal visits between staff and students at South African universities and the University of Queensland; work on curriculum development in South African universities; collaborative short courses; staff and student exchanges; and collaborative research and development programs.
Dr Fraser, from South African president Nelson Mandela's alma mater, the University of Fort Hare at Alice, in the eastern Cape in South Africa, said the program was attractive for South African universities because of similar agricultural problems in both countries and because academic semesters coincided.
'South Africa's agricultural sector is slightly less developed than Australia, and tribal systems in some areas and land tenure issues can complicate development,' he said.
Dr Fraser has consulted widely with staff and researchers at the University of Queensland, Cooperative Research Centres, the Department of Primary Industries, the Department of Natural Resources and the University's technology transfer company UniQuest Ltd.
Ms Mgxashe, a masters student in the School of Land and Food, is interested in the impact of grazing animals on South African rangelands, and will conduct field work on the impact of small stock on communally-grazed semi-arid areas on her return.
Ms Mgxashe said the exchange program was valuable because it gave participants a broader knowledge base.
'I now have much bigger ideas and can compare differences in work being done in both countries,' she said.
'I may end up changing my thoughts on my initial line of research.'
She was selected to visit Australia while working as a South African Agricultural Research Council intern. Ms Mgxashe last year developed a booklet for rural communities on success stories in conservation management.
In the scheme, Australian institutions work collaboratively with institutions in South Africa on projects which target poverty alleviation and redress educational disadvantage. The aim is to achieve outcomes with mutual benefits and to strengthen relationships between Australia and South Africa.
The project will support agricultural transformation in the rural communities and is targeted at the welfare of small farmers. The Centre for Integrated Resource Management facilitated the establishment of the project for the Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science. Dr Peter Dart and Dr Ciel Claridge are co-ordinating activities.
The project will strengthen institutional development at the postgraduate school of agricultural and rural development at the University of Pretoria, and the faculties of agriculture at the University of Fort Hare and the University of the North.
Dr Dart said the University of Queensland had a proven track record in South Africa, with staff visiting the country to assist on various projects since 1994.
'The University of Queensland is pre-eminent in Australia in tropical agriculture, with the nation's largest postgraduate agricultural training program,' he said.
'This will be further strengthened with developments in international training in the Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science.
'We also have the advantage that South Africa has a similar climate and ecosystems.'
Deans of the three South African faculties visited the University of Queensland recently to discuss activities. Professor Chris Igodan of the University of Fort Hare, Professor Robin Crewe of the University of Pretoria and Professor Charles Machete of the University of the North were accompanied by project co-ordinator Professor Johan van Rooyen of the University of Pretoria.
For further information, contact Dr Dart, telephone 07 3365 2867.
