University of the Western Cape

One of the buildings of the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, Africa

ICGC houses the University of Minnesota's graduate education and faculty research collaboration with the University of the Western Cape in South Africa.

This initiative involves graduate student and faculty exchanges, co-taught courses between the campuses using web and ITV technologies, and has the goal of further developing other networks among institutions in the global south. The partnership is supported in part by funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the partner universities. 

former Senior Vice President Robert Jones and ICGC Director Karen Brown, pictured here with UWC colleagues Rector Brian O’Connell; Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Ramesh Bharuthram; Dean, Faculty of Arts Duncan Brown; and Deputy Dean, Faculty of Arts, and Former Director (and ICGC alumnus), Centre for Humanities Research Premesh Lalu.
ICGC Director Karen Brown, pictured here with UWC colleagues Rector Brian O’Connell; Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Ramesh Bharuthram; Dean, Faculty of Arts Duncan Brown; and Deputy Dean, Faculty of Arts, and Former Director (and ICGC alumnus), Centre for Humanities Research Premesh Lalu.

ICGC and the Centre for Humanities Research at UWC formalized a partnership in graduate education and faculty research through an MOU put in place during a visit to UWC by former Senior Vice President Robert Jones and ICGC Director Karen Brown. 

Through the partnership between ICGC and the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of the Western Cape, our collaborative graduate education and faculty research initiative offers faculty and student exchanges; graduate student fellowships; and joint research projects, workshops, conferences, and courses. Current activities include an ongoing faculty and doctoral fellow exchange program with faculty and students from each institution spending time conducting research and engaging with students and faculty on the partner campus. 

Our work also focuses on teaching, the arts in an interdisciplinary context, and the support of exceptional and diverse graduate fellows and faculty. These activities support the objectives of both partner institutions to provide more pedagogical training and experience to graduate fellows and, at ICGC, to more fully integrate humanities and arts across its interdisciplinary curriculum.

Some examples of recent activities include: Art and Social Justice events, Global Apartheid doctoral seminars, and lectures in ICGC by Lwando Scott, Lindokuhle Mandyoli, and Ajohche Awungjia