There is a small brick building on Watauga Club Drive here in Raleigh, North Carolina. There is something different about it, something that distinguishes it from the other academic structures on the campus of the North Carolina State University (NCSU). It is old, very old. Primrose Hall was originally opened in 1896 and now houses the Office of Global Engagement.
Our delegation from the North-West University (NWU) was there on a very crisp Thursday morning to meet with Dr Amy Conger, vice provost for Global Engagement. “Watauga” is a Native American word that means “beautiful water” or “whispering water”. The significance of this was not lost on me. Is that not what global engagement is all about?
Water enriches, and it allows for growth. Water transforms. Through our internationalisation drive, the NWU is following a stream of global engagements that keep us afloat and competitive in a fast-changing world. And we are hearing the “whispers” of expertise from our colleagues across the globe. They are music to our eager ears.
The day before, we were privy to an orchestra of information as we met with Dr Chris Frey, associate dean for Research and Infrastructure at the College of Engineering; Dr Mark Schmidt, associate vice-chancellor for Partnerships at the Office of Partnerships; as well as Dr Michelle Hayford and Dr Stuart Benkert from the Department of Performing Arts and Technology. Our day concluded with a very illuminating discussion with Dr Paola Sztajn, dean of the College of Education. There are so many potential collaborative projects.
Thursday’s encore saw us meet with Dr Bayram Suha Aksoy from the Minerals Research Laboratory, Chanelle Gobena McArthur and David McNeill from the Global Training Initiative, and Dr Igor Bolotnov and his colleagues from the Department of Nuclear Engineering.
On Friday, we were hosted by Dr Kathryn Boys from the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics before we had a tour of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics.
We have a lot to think about and even more to digest. It is our responsibility to take what we have learned and to implement it. We will do that together.
I want to leave you with one last thought. The NCSU’s mascot is a wolf, and their sports teams are called the Wolfpack. It is also what their supporters call themselves. You can see the “wolf” emblem plastered everywhere in this enterprising city, from buildings to buses. Their motto is: “Strength in the pack’”.
Do you know what a group of eagles is called? It is called a “soar”. As impressive as a pack of wolves is, imagine how inspiring a soar of NWU Eagles can be!
Now, we are heading back home to our loved ones. Equipped with new knowledge and a clearer vision, we are going back to where a new future for our NWU awaits.
Warm regards
Prof Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
