vol. XVI no. 2

				Robinson programs support nation's economic transformation goals To understand South Africa, you must understand its history. You must understand apartheid. After four decades of oppressive laws that segregated the races and deprived the nation's majority African population of its most fundamental human rights, the new democratic South Africa is striving to build a society based on the principles of equality and justice for all. The country's economy is highly industrialized, has well-established financial markets and offers state-of-the-art social services (education, health care, social security, etc.). Yet, it is an economy that was designed primarily to serve the needs of the minority white population that ruled the country prior to 1994. As a result, most of the black population, which represents more than 32 million people and 75 percent of South Africa, still lives in conditions of poverty and deprivation. South Africa's greatest challenge is to effectively utilize all of its resources to redress past inequities and to enhance the quality of life of its people. Nelson Mandela, who in 1994 was chosen as South Africa's first democratically elected president, remains the embodiment of the country's vision of reconciliation and societal transformation. When he publicly forgave his persecutors after 27 years of incarceration, Mandela set the standard for others in South Africa and the world at large. More than a decade later, Mandela's call for national unity still resonates, and South Africans ­ notwithstanding some formidable obstacles ­ appear more driven than ever to succeed. With this as a backdrop, the Robinson College, realizing it had the capabilities to assist in South Africa, became involved with the University of Venda in 2000. Established during the apartheid period, Venda is one of the so-called historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs) created to educate South Africa's black and other nonwhite populations. Consistent with apartheid practice, even though these institutions were established to educate the majority of the people, they were given only minimal support from apartheid government to do so. Initially, Robinson provided books and periodicals for Venda's fledgling business school as well as informal advice and assistance. With a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant, the Robinson/Venda cooperation was well established. Later, Robinson joined forces with the University of Pretoria and developed another proposal funded by USAID.This was followed by a project implemented in collaboration with the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies to establish the Ronald Brown Institute for Sub-Saharan Africa (RBI) in 2001. Named in honor of the late former U.S. commerce secretary's dedication to expand business and commercial relations between Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States, the RBI's goal is to help individuals and organizations learn how become more effective in today's global business environment. H. Fenwick Huss, associate dean and the College's lead administrator in the area of third-party-funded programs, said, "One of Robinson's specialized areas of expertise is assisting transitional economies. When the request for proposals for the African projects were announced, we felt sure we were well suited and could make a major con tribution." What developed from the Venda grant was a recently completed three-pronged initiative that included information technology, entrepreneurship, and hospitality and tourism course development. Also, through the committed leadership and support of the vice chancellor of the University of Venda, Professor Gessler Nkondo, the two institutions have embarked upon a partnership that will continue to endure. David Abbey is the on-site coordinator of the USAID project, officially known as the TELP (Tertiary Education Learning Project; tertiary is the name given to higher education in South Africa). According to Abbey, the Robinson-Venda project "has been one of the best TELP-funded partnerships in the entire country. It has provided us the largest computer lab in the university, helped with curriculum and provided for faculty development." Professor Dovhani Reckson Thakhathi, deputy vice chancellor for planning and resource management at the University of Venda, agrees. " This project changed the image of the university," he said. The addition of 90 computers gave students many new opportunities for learning. It even allowed them to experience the business simulation classes taught by Robinson professors Bijan Fazlollahi and Bob Elrod. The entrepreneurship center is providing academic council and outreach (much like Robinson's Small Business Development Center in Atlanta). The hospitality program at Venda now features a course on tourism development, and, in the latter stages of the program, Robinson has added training for mid-level managers to the overall curriculum. Top | Next Page

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