The committee on higher education is calling for more to be done to support South African students abroad. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) appeared before the committee last week to brief it on the internationalisation of higher education. It also provided the committee with an overview of the bursary and scholarships programmes for students studying abroad.
Committee chairperson Nompendulo Mkhatshwa said the committee was also briefed by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) on the department’s programme on international co-operation resources and key agreements.
"It was highlighted in the DHET’s presentation that the bulk of international scholarships are located in postgraduate studies, with the majority of South African students studying in Hungary. The department reported that it provides support currently to about 271 students and through this support has produced about 257 graduates," she said.
According to Mkhatshwa, the committee wanted to understand whether these scholarship graduates return to South Africa to combat brain drain and ensure that the skills and knowledge they acquired are used to develop the country and its communities.
The committee further emphasised the importance of ongoing skills need analysis in the international agreements the department commits itself to.
She expressed the need for adequate and comprehensive support for students abroad to ensure positive success rates, including mental health support, through continuous interaction between South African embassies and students abroad.
The committee asked whether the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) provides training for these students to orient them for life abroad.
Mkhatshwa emphasised the importance of implementing the Internationalisation Framework. She also called on the DHET to analyse the feasibility of legislation to regulate international scholarships afforded by provinces and individuals, considering the many cases of students who become stranded abroad due to funders who do not fulfil their commitments.
On the presentation by the DSI, the committee emphasised the importance of the department to centre the country’s interests in all science and innovation international agreements.
The committee raised the importance of ensuring that international opportunities in the sciences are made accessible to all institutions of higher learning by the DSI, thus emphasising the importance of the DHET, DSI and Dirco to co-ordinate international co-operation and the internationalisation of higher education.