​​As I am writing here, some European countries have initiated a second lockdown due to a new wave of COVID-19 infections. In South Africa, health officials are keeping a close eye on our infection rate, and several restrictions and safety measures still apply under level 1 of the national lockdown, which has recently been extended.

Our borders are, however, open to travellers from several countries. As you know, at the start of the pandemic, Stellenbosch University (SU) immediately set up an Institutional Committee for Business Continuity (ICBC) with the aim of ensuring that we continue our work as a leading higher education institution. This has allowed us to carry on with our internationalisation efforts by strengthening our collaborations with partner universities and in various networks, and even committing ourselves to new partnerships to increase our international footprint and have a meaningful impact.

Being part of our network of partner institutions, you have probably also collaborated with SU in the digital space during 2020, as most of our initiatives were moved online. This has certainly evolved internationalisation. Yet with the lifting of travel restrictions, in-person staff and student mobility has now become possible again.

In response to this, our ICBC has developed guidelines and recommendations for international travel under level 1 of the South African lockdown. Since October, therefore, international students have been able to come to the Stellenbosch campus, providing they adhere to the national regulatory requirements. And from January 2021, delegations from partner universities and our networks abroad will be allowed to visit our university, also taking into account the national regulations.

While we, as higher education institutions, have faced many challenges due to the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also had an opportunity to renew our thinking about internationalisation in education and research. Now, being able to travel internationally, both SU and our valued partners have yet more opportunities to further enhance and strengthen our collaborations – face-to-face – and to work towards having a global impact.

• Prof Hester C Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy and Internationalisation