Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, fewer international students applied to do the semester exchange program at Stellenbosch University (SU) this year.
This is according to Hanna Kotzé, administrative officer at SU International’s Global Education Centre.
According to Lucas Straub, an engineering Masters student from Bauhaus University Weimar in Germany, his accommodation arrangement has helped him become more integrated in the local student community. “I live with four South Africans […] and they bring me to all their friends and parties and stuff,” he said. PHOTO: Anri Matthee
“Our semesters are usually quite big, […] but we saw a lot of cancellations this semester, either because the university on that side [the foreign country] cancelled the programmes, or there’s travel bans to South Africa,” said Kotzé.
Out of a group of about 400 international students participating in the exchange program, 305 arrived on campus prior to the start of the semester, according to Angelo Jephtha, coordinator of international student life and success at SU International. After a month on campus, the international exchange students are “settling in” to local student life, he said.
In cases where international students were unable to travel to Stellenbosch campus, the university is assisting them to complete the semester online from their home countries, said Kotzé
“It’s sad that I can’t help [the students on campus] settle to full capacity […] through our support services and our co-curricular program, but I think they’re settling in,” said Jephtha.
Although a new hybrid orientation program was implemented for the international students that arrived this semester, the traditional approach remains preferable, according to Jephtha.
“I’ll still kind of lean towards the face-to-face sessions, mainly because […] the online process is just a very soulless process. It just takes something away from you,” he said.
Angelo Jephtha, coordinator of international student life and success at SU International, explains that many of his planned student integration initiatives and social events for this semester fell through due to Covid-19-related complications. RECORDING: Anri Matthee
Some international students have also found the lack of face-to-face interaction on campus challenging, according to Lorna Font y Bosch, a Masters student in business and economic management from the Skema Business School in France.
“I’m a bit disappointed about the fact that we don’t have so many classes on campus, because I think it [would] be really great to [get to] know more people,” said Font y Bosch.
The special welcoming bags distributed to exchange students by Angelo Jephtha, coordinator of international student life & success at SU International, during orientation. These bags contain well-known local snacks, such as biltong, and a bottle of Mrs H.S. Ball’s Chutney. This is intended to make students feel at home. PHOTO: Anri Matthee
Other international students have found that being abroad is a welcome change of pace, according to Lucas Straub, a Masters student in engineering from Bauhaus University Weimar in Germany.
“The restrictions are not that strict here, because in Germany everything is closed,” said Straub. “I am very, very happy to be here during the Corona time.”
It is possible for international students to join student societies in order to get more involved in the local community, according to Straub. The rest of the exchange group is adjusting well to campus life, he added.
“I think they really settled in, and they’re really comfortable here,” said Straub.