SAVUSA South Africa -VU University Amsterdam- Strategic Alliances
South Africa is an important focus point of VU University Amsterdam's international policy, as a logical consequence of the long-standing relations between VU University Amsterdam and many South African universities.
SAVUSA (South Africa - VU University Amsterdam - Strategic Alliances) has been developed in 2002. SAVUSA wants to contribute to the academic climate in both South Africa and the Netherlands by facilitating academic publications, by offering South African PhDs and master students the opportunity to carry out a part of their studies in the Netherlands and by developing academic projects with a strong societal component around relevant themes such as diversity.
At first, SAVUSA focused mainly on facilitating academic publications on staff and student level, which resulted from a cooperation between VU academics and their South African counterparts. Later on, related academic projects began to take up more time, and after Archbishop Em. Desmond Tutu’s first visit to VU University Amsterdam, in 2007, the Desmond Tutu Programme (DTP) was developed. In this programme, which was launched on 4 December 2008 with Archbishop Tutu attending, five Desmond Tutu Chair holders will do research on the themes of Youth, Sports and Reconciliation and, in cooperation with the NRF (National Research Foundation), will co-supervise a number of South African PhDs together with their colleagues in South Africa.
Apart from this, the SAVUSA also coordinates the SKILL programme and participates in a number of projects, for example the Diversity project, and the Tuberculous Meningitis Township Project.
For more information on SAVUSA, its activities and publications, please visit our website:
Contact details:
SAVUSA Editorial and Liaison Office
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Faculty of Social Sciences
De Boelelaan 1081 (Metropolitan Building)
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 20 598 6708
Fax: +31 20 598 6765
