Unisa Achieves Double International Impact in South Korea
In addition to a strategic high-level meeting in which advanced engagements explored meaningful partnership and collaborative possibilities with Yonsei University’s President, Prof Dong-Sup Yoon and his delegation, the Unisa Delegation attended two critical meetings.
The first of these was the international meeting of the Global Engagement and Empowerment Forum on Sustainable Development (GEEF 2024), organised by the Ban Ki-moon Foundation. GEEF is a critical space in which a variety of global leaders participated on topics based on the theme Reboot the SDGs, Reset Our Future.
Joining Prof Dong-Sup Yoon, President of Yonsei University (second from left) and a member of his delegation are (from left) Unisans Prof Eunice Seekoe, Distinguished Scholar (Health Sciences), College of Human Sciences; Prof Puleng LenkaBula, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor; Prof Madipoane Masenya (Ngwan’a Mphahlele), Acting Executive Director, Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor; and Dr Genevieve James, Deputy Director: Engaged Scholarship, Teaching, Learning, Community Engagement and Student Support
The conference was hosted by Yonsei University, one of the highest rated Asian universities in global rankings. LenkaBula was honoured to be one of the GEEF 24 participants who were invited to approach the topic from the transformation perspective. Such a focus makes sense, given the fact that she has been tasked by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, to lead a task team on transformation in the context of gender-based violence in the higher education sector in South Africa.
Prior to the start of the GEEF 24 conference, there was an important meeting held for the launch of the Institute of African Studies at Yonsei University. LenkaBula was invited to be the keynote speaker at this launch. Worthy of note here is that in October 2023, LenkaBula led a delegation of 11 universities from the African continent to the Yonsei- African Universities Initiative for Research and Human Development, which directly gave rise to the formation of Institute of African Studies.
Pictured here at the opening ceremony of the Yonsei University Institute of African Studies are (fifth from left) Prof Puleng LenkaBula, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, and (to her right) Prof Dong-Sup Yoon, President of Yonsei University, together with the delegations of their respective universities
In advance of the two key events, the Unisa delegation had a strategic meeting at Yonsei University with the university’s newly appointed President, Prof Dong-Sup Yoon, and his delegation which included Prof Young-Jong Sohn, Provost, Prof Yongho Kim, Senior Vice-President for Administration and Development, Prof Yong-Chan Kim, Vice-President for International Affairs, and Prof Samuel Y. Pang, Dean, Institute of African Studies.
Participants at the GEEF 2024 conference
It is important to note that on this visit, Unisa’s academic presence was not only felt within the confines of Yonsei University, the GEEF 2024 conference and the launch of the Institute of African Studies. LenkaBula was interviewed on KBS World Radio International and on national television. Following the various meetings and engagements, it is clear that there is major enthusiasm and commitment on the part of both Yonsei University and Unisa to enter into very strong strategic agreements and collaborations in the near future.