The Trilateral Staff Development Programme
The Trilateral Staff Development Programme is a unique international collaboration between Stellenbosch University (South Africa), the University of Hamburg (Germany), and Northwestern University (USA). It is the first initiative of its kind, focusing exclusively on the professional development of Professional Administrative Support Staff (PASS) on three continents.
Key focus areas include:
Launched in 2022, the programme is designed to:
- Build inclusive international competencies
- Strengthen intercultural understanding
- Foster global collaboration and shared learning among staff
- Explore current themes relevant to higher education institutions
- Each year, the programme rotates between the three partner universities, with each institution selecting a dedicated theme that aligns with their strategic priorities and areas of expertise.
Past Programmes
2025 TriStaX Programme
Stellenbosch University, 15–19 September
Cultivating Global Excellence Through Inclusive International Competencies
The 2025 TriStaX Programme is a five-day initiative developed by Stellenbosch University (SU), focusing on the theme of inclusive international competencies. The programme supports comprehensive internationalisation by promoting inclusion across faculties and support services.
Throughout the week, participants will explore:
Becoming an internationalisation practitioner within their current role.
The link between intercultural skills, competencies, and inclusion.
Building shared dialogue on internationalisation across diverse university contexts.
Sessions will combine best-practice examples from SU, group discussions, and collaborative learning. PASS staff will be encouraged to reflect on how to adapt and apply these insights within their own institutional environments—enhancing their work, supporting colleagues, and contributing to the growth of their departments and divisions.
Programme Overview
Target Group: PASS staff engaged in activities related to internationalisation, seeking to grow their skills as international practitioners.
Objectives: Professional development and continuing education in an intercultural environment.
Duration: 15–19 September 2025
Venue: Stellenbosch University’s Central Campus, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Participants: SU PASS staff alongside colleagues from the University of Hamburg (Germany) and Northwestern University (USA).
2024 TriStaX Programme
Integrating Sustainability Across Higher Education Institutions
9–13 September 2024 | University of Hamburg, Germany
In September 2024, the University of Hamburg hosted the Trilateral Staff Development and Exchange Programme, bringing together Professional Administrative Support Services (PASS) staff from Stellenbosch University (South Africa), Northwestern University (USA), and the University of Hamburg (Germany).
The five-day programme explored sustainability in a holistic sense—environmental, economic, and social—across multiple dimensions of higher education:
- Internationalisation
- Teaching and curriculum development
- Research
- Campus life and the university’s connection with society
Programme Highlights
- Day 1: Welcome and introduction to sustainability in higher education
- Day 2: Policies, strategies, and implementation
- Day 3: Integrating sustainability into teaching and curricula
- Day 4: Research, transfer, and regional initiatives
- Day 5: Group project presentations and farewell
A central feature was the collaborative group project, where mixed teams from all three institutions worked on sustainability-related initiatives with the potential for implementation at their home universities.
The 2024 programme not only advanced staff members’ personal and professional development but also expanded their international perspectives on how sustainability can be embedded across campuses and into society at large.
2023 TriStaX Programme
Alumni Relations and Development
5–8 September 2023 | Northwestern University, USA
In September 2023, Northwestern University hosted the Trilateral Staff Development and Exchange (TriStaX) Programme, with a focus on the theme “Alumni Relations and Development (ARD).” PASS staff from Stellenbosch University (South Africa), Northwestern University (USA), and the University of Hamburg (Germany) came together to deepen their knowledge and share best practices in alumni engagement, fundraising, and donor relations.
Programme Structure
The programme was organised into three main components, providing both conceptual insights and technical skills development:
- ARD Central Sessions – Exploring key questions and practices in alumni relations and development, including:
- Defining the mission and vision for alumni work
- Differentiating alumni relations from development, and how they intersect
- Annual giving and its role in philanthropy
- Campaigns 101: strategy, design, and lessons from Northwestern’s We Will campaign
- The continuum of engagement: moving alumni from early involvement to committed giving
- Donor relationships: cultivation and stewardship
- Alumni clubs (domestic and international) and their role in engagement
- Staff experience at ARD: fostering inclusivity in the workplace
- Campus collaboration across schools, units, and departments
- Regional alumni engagement through West Coast and New York offices
- ARD Central Technical Sessions – Hands-on insights into the systems and tools that support alumni and donor engagement:
- Prospect research: identifying potential donors
- IT systems for alumni and donor tracking (CatTracks, Encompass, professional school systems, etc.)
- Exchange and Collaboration – Opportunities for PASS staff across the three universities to reflect, share experiences, and consider how to adapt lessons learned within their own institutional contexts.
The 2023 programme strengthened international collaboration in the field of alumni relations and development, while also providing professional growth opportunities for participating PASS staff.
Trilateral Staff Development and Exchange Programme (TriStaX) – 2022
Inclusive International Competencies
October 2022 | Stellenbosch University, South Africa
The TriStaX Programme launched in 2022 when Stellenbosch University (SU) hosted the inaugural edition in October, focusing on the theme Inclusive International Competencies.
The programme explored intercultural skills and inclusion, aiming to foster joint discussions on internationalisation across diverse university fields. Participants engaged with best-practice examples from SU and collaborated in group discussions to examine how these insights could be applied in their own institutional contexts.
A total of 21 participants took part in the programme:
- 11 PASS staff from Stellenbosch University
- 4 PASS staff from Northwestern University (USA)
- 5 PASS staff from the University of Hamburg (Germany)
The 2022 programme set the foundation for a sustained collaboration, providing PASS staff with opportunities for professional growth, intercultural learning, and building international networks.
