University of Johannesburg: UJ partnership with SA Tourism bolsters academic prowess and explores alternative funding opportunities
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) together with the Office of the Director of Development & Fundraising, Ms Daphney Nemakhavhani, hosted the National Convention Bureau, a unit within South African Tourism, on 20 July 2022.
This was an information sharing workshop about funding opportunities for hosting international, regional and local academic conferences. Various UJ faculty members and support staff were appraised on funding criteria when making proposals for funding support. Additional support opportunities were detailed, such as conference bidding, lobbying association members, site inspections and attendance boosting to attract and host professional and academic association meetings, congress and symposia.
UJ’s Senior Director of Revenue Administration, Mr Mzwakhe Matukane, welcomed the collaboration forged with Ms Amanda Kotze-Nhlapho,Chief Convention Bureau Officer of the South African National Convention Bureau (SANCB) , which will contribute to showcasing UJ’s academic prowess and advancing alternative revenue streams.
Mr. Mzwakhe Matukane highlighted the importance of university and government partnerships. “Collaborations between Universities and Government agencies are significant for demonstrating the significance of partnership in addressing societal challenges, especially when partners mobilise their respective resources contributing to the much needed social compact.”
The collaboration between the University of Johannesburg and the National Convention Bureau has grown since its inception in 2016.
Ms. Amanda Kotze-Nhlapho added: “The mission of the National Convention Bureau is to support Higher Education Institutions to attract conferences by moving people from Zoom to the Room, while enriching peoples interactions through onsite International and local conferences.”
Over the years, the partnership has yielded the successful hosting of prestigious international and regional conferences, including the Food Security & Safety Conference (FSaS) 2016; the 7th International Barcode of Life (iBOL) Conference 2017; the 20th WaterNet WARFSA/GWP Conference 2019; and the upcoming Kettil Bruun Society Conference 2023.
Such strategic collaborations assist higher education institutions like UJ with monetary and in-kind support, enabling showcasing academic prowess, bolstering institutional research endeavours and profiling our experts as revered thought leaders within their respective areas of speciality.
Furthermore these collaborations encourage and propel UJ to advance the culture of knowledge sharing for the progress of society through the development of solutions to address societal challenges.