“Remain open to the experience”
Robert Kotze, senior director of Stellenbosch University (SU) International, welcomed more than 420 Non-degree international students on campus on Monday 7 February 2022, at the official start of their face-to face orientation.
This year's cohort is the largest international intake since 2019 and comprises students from, among others, France, Germany, Sweden, the United States, Netherlands and Austria.
“International students are our connection to the world. As we remain open to learning from you, we hope you too will remain open to learn from this experience," Kotze said. “It is a different environment, so be flexible, remain eager, venture outside your immediate circle of friends, and make the best of your time here."
Although SU did welcome a few groups of international exchange students on campus over the past two years, numbers definitely decreased. “Having lost what feels like a lifetime, it is exciting to be here," says Janna Keiser, a second-year Anthropology student from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. “With the pandemic, it felt like so much was taken away from us, we became fearful of hoping and dreaming again, and forgot how exciting a Study Abroad experience can be."
Anastasia Rentzing, a Peace Research and International Relations student from the University of Tübingen, Germany, couldn't wait for this year in South Africa to free herself from the feelings of restriction and isolation she had felt in her home country. “I have not felt this happy in a long time. I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life, and I'm particularly excited about the hot weather, since it is very cold in Germany at the moment. I am also hoping to learn more about South African politics, as that is what I am currently studying," she says.
Paul Renoux, International Business student from SKEMA Business School, Lille campus, France, is equally happy to be here: “When I leave here, I hope to have learned how to braai, and to take with me the South African spirit," he says.
And it is not only the international arrivals who are glad to start shaking off the lockdown gloom. Jenni Vry, a local SU student who has volunteered to be a Matie Buddy to international students, is grateful for this opportunity to broaden her horizons. When hearing about the Matie Buddy programme, this BSc Molecular Biology and Biotech student simply knew that she needed this experience to push her out of her comfort zone. “Having been in isolation during the lockdown, I realise the value of such an opportunity to engage with and learn from international students by helping them settle in on campus," she says. “Being a Matie Buddy will allow me to push past my introversion and build connections with people I have never had the opportunity to interact with before."