UCT’s Nelson Mandela School signs a five-year partnership with the United Nations System Staff College

The University of Cape Town (UCT) through its Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance and the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will guide cooperation between the institutions over the next five years. 

Under the terms of the MOU, the two institutions will leverage each other’s strengths to work collaboratively in selected areas of research, pedagogy, dialogue, research forums, and the sharing of facilities and other resources.
Some of the planned joint activities include facilitating the sharing of information and knowledge to enhance capacity, the development of joint executive education and academic courses in areas of common interest. This will also include the development of joint publications and joint human capital development initiatives.  

Both Parties may also jointly develop and devise a suite of executive education and academic offerings that respond to the capacity development needs of public sector stakeholders on the African continent, and/or provide an African perspective to learning, training and knowledge management related offerings for a global audience from the public sector and beyond. The jointly developed activities shall cover issues relevant for a public sector audience, including, but not limited to public administration and leadership development.

“The Nelson Mandela School is delighted to announce it has established a strategic partnership with the United Nations System Staff College. This collaboration will enable the School and UCT to share the innovative teaching materials and methodologies developed by the UN Staff College and enhance the quality of its teaching and executive training programmes. The school's overarching mission is to build the capacity and resilience of democratic institutions and ethical leadership across the African continent. We believe this partnership will support this mission”, said Professor Faizel Ismail, the School Director.

“We are looking forward to building a long-standing relationship that is rooted in a willingness to collaborate on research and educational initiatives that are aligned with the mission and vision of both institutions. I believe the effective implementation of this MoU will advance the developmental interests and aspirations of both UNSSC and the University of Cape Town’s Nelson Mandela School going forward” said UNSSC director Jafar Javan.

University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is South Africa's oldest university, and is one of Africa's leading teaching and research institutions. UCT is an inclusive and engaged research-intensive university that inspires creativity through outstanding achievements in learning, discovery and citizenship; enhancing the lives of its students and staff; advancing a more equitable and sustainable social order and influencing the global higher education landscape. 

Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance 
The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at UCT in South Africa is dedicated to building the capacity of the developmental state and promoting strategic and ethical public leadership. It provides a platform for convening innovative dialogue and research forums for policy makers in South Africa, and other African countries.

United Nations System Staff College
Established on 1 January 2002, the United Nations System Staff College is the learning organization of the United Nations system - headquartered in Turin, Italy with a Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development in Bonn, Germany. UNSSC provides high-quality and effective programmatic learning to empower UN staff and partners with competencies, and knowledge to support the UN system and Member States to achieve a better future for all.