CHET Report on South African Fulbright Scholars ( ) 1

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Kelly Merritt
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1 CHET Report on South African Fulbright Scholars ( ) 1 Riana Coetsee In this report I address firstly information given in the text provided by Dr Nico Cloete, after a first draft submitted to him on 10 December 2014, then a statistical analysis of the data researched, and lastly a summary of the execution of the research. 1. Editing of text provided on 21 January 2015: An opportunity for black South Africans to obtain PhD s outside of the apartheid system was provided by the US government s Fulbright exchange programme. Since its inception in 1946 it has sponsored almost 320,000 students, scholars, and teachers worldwide. Recipients have been selected on the basis of high academic achievement, demonstrated leadership potential, and flexibility and adaptability to interact successfully with the host community abroad. Since 1953 more than South Africans and Americans have participated in the Fulbright exchange program between South Africa and the USA. Defying the apartheid regulations of the time, the Fulbright program provided opportunities to South Africans regardless of colour, class and creed to pursue post-graduate study and research in the USA. The apartheid government did not impose any travel restrictions on black students participating in the Fulbright program. Of the 892 South Africans, the majority, 57% were white, 29% African, 9% Indian and 5% coloured. The first black South African on record to have received a Fulbright scholarship was Mapule Ramashala, who received her PhD in Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Up to 2004 she was Vice- Chancellor & Principal of University Durban-Westville and then became the head of the Medical Research Council. The group of leaders in the new South Africa who were Fulbright scholars is rather astounding; seven vice chancellors (Ramashala, Badat, O Connel, Jansen, Nevuthalu; Moutlana; Minyuku) and two presidents of science councils (Sibisi and Mokghele) not to mention a host of famous artists and writers. An expanded list of prominent people who received Fulbright scholarships can be found in the Appendix. Reference: SA-USA Fulbright Jubilee publication (2003) Information verified and additional information found through internet searches, and some company or university websites. 1 Report commissioned by the Centre for Higher Education Transformation in

2 2. Further statistics: A total of 255 African Fulbright scholars were identified, of whom 84 women and 171 men. A total of 83 African Fulbright scholars received PhDs in the United States, of whom 57 (69%) male and 26 (31 %) female. While most PhD degrees were obtained with Fulbright funding, about 10% of scholars went to the USA with a Fulbright scholarship to complete a Master s degree, and then subsequently remained in the USA to complete a PhD with other funds. A total of 144 African Fulbright scholars received a Master s degree 98 (68%) male and 46 (32%) female. Level of qualification of 24 (9%) scholars could not be found. 40 (15%) African Fulbright scholars went to Ivy League Universities; 16 to Harvard In the PhD group, with regard to field of study, 59 (71%) were in the social science & humanities, 17 (20%) in the science/engineering disciplines and 7 (8%) in the medical/health sciences. Of the 255 African Fulbright scholars, the current or recent whereabouts of 31 (12%) could not be found. Of the remaining 69%, according to records only 2% still reside in the USA. 143 African Fulbright alumni (56% of the total; 64% of those whose current or recent professional positions are known) are currently in or recently had leadership positions with one or more of the following titles: Vice-Chancellor/Deputy Vice- Chancellor; professor; judge; advocate; attorney/lawyer; director/chief director; chair/vice-chair; CEO; owner/co-owner; councillor; Manager/Managing Director/General manager; Mayor; Group Executive; Head; Registrar; Ambassador; Superintendent-General; President/Vice-President of a company; Dean; consultant; member of parliament; MEC; renowned artists/musicians. 32 (22%) have or had the title of Director or Chief Director by far the highest number in African Fulbright alumni professional positions. Despite the high percentage of leadership positions, there may not be a direct correlation between a Fulbright scholarship and professional excellence. The Fulbright programme is the flagship scholarship programme of the United States government. To obtain this scholarship, an applicant partakes in a highly competitive process with very strict eligibility criteria. In one year during the period applications were received for the Fulbright postgraduate student scholarship, and eventually only about 25 scholarships were awarded. Not only should an applicant be academically strong (during the period applicants should ve had 75% or higher as average for their undergraduate study years), but should also 2

3 demonstrate all-roundedness and leadership skills. It is therefore likely that these persons might ve had the potential to excel professionally, even without the experience of studying abroad. 3. Execution of research: November/December 2014: captured basic information on 383 generic black South Africans who went to the US on Fulbright scholarships most information obtained from the SA-USA Fulbright Commission Jubilee publication of ; additional information through web searches and personal files December 2014/January 2015: Searched Fulbright qualification status as well as current and/or latest known professional positions of all 255 African black Fulbright alumni (between 1963 and 1996). Sources: Previous Fulbright office electronic files (limited); Google; Google books; searches through relevant company/university websites both in South Africa and the USA. For inexplicable reasons, no data exists for South African generic black Fulbrighters before It is not clear whether no awards were made to black South Africans prior to 1965 or whether records were lost. Challenges with regard to USA information sources: inability of the IIE (Institute for International Education) in New York to assist with data; inability to provide information on qualification status, and unwillingness to provide information on professional status, of US Embassy alumni office. 2 While in the position of Executive Director or the SA-USA Fulbright Commission alumni data was researched and recorded by me and an assistant in 2002/2003 and listed in the Fulbright Jubilee publication. 3

4 Some prominent South African Fulbright alumni: Vice-Chancellors Prof Saleem Badat Chief Executive Officer, Council on Higher Education Vice-Chancellor, Rhodes University Current: Program Director, International Higher Education and Strategic Projects program, at the W Mellon Foundation, New York. PhD in Sociology, Univ of York, UK Fulbright (1995): Certificate in Higher Education and Science Policy, Boston University, USA Prof Brian O Connell Vice-Chancellor, University of the Western Cape Fulbright (1983): Master s degree in History Education, Columbia University, New York Prof Jonathan Jansen Vice-Chancellor, University of the Free State PhD, Stanford University Fulbright: Senior Scholar award Prof Mapule Ramashala Vice-Chancellor & Principal: University Durban-Westville Vice-Chair: Medical Research Council; Chair: Employment Equity Commission; Fulbright (1965): PhD (Education), University of Massachusetts Professor Biki Minyuku Vice-Chancellor: University of the North Fulbright (1983): MBA, La Salle College, Philadelphia Professor Irene Moutlana Vice-Chancellor: Vaal University of Technology Fulbright (1985): PhD, Harvard University Presidents: Research Council Dr Sibusiso Sibisi President, CSIR Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), UCT PhD, Cambridge University Fulbright (1987): Post-doctoral studies, California Institute of Technology, Los Angeles Dr Khotso Mokhele Chancellor of the University of the Free State President, National Research Foundation Fulbright (1979): MSc, University of California, Davis ( PhD in Microbiology, University of California, Davis) 4

5 Provincial Premiers Dr Mathole Motshekga ANC Chief Whip Member of Parliament Lecturer, Department of Law, UNISA Premier of Gauteng Fulbright (1980): LLM degree, Harvard University Cultural leaders Prof Es kia Mphahlele: (17 December October 2008) South African writer, educationist, artist, activist. Considered the Father of African Humanism. Retired in 1987 as Professor and Head of the Division of African Literature in the Department of Comparative and African Literature, University of the Witwatersrand. Fulbright (1988): PhD in Literature, University of Denver, USA. Johny Mekoa Jazz and trumpet virtuoso. Founder of the Music Academy of Gauteng. Fulbright (1991): Masters Degree in Jazz Education at Indiana University in the US. Dr Mongane Wally Serote CEO, Freedom Park Author, poet. Member of Parliament Fulbright (1974): Master s degree in Fine Arts, Columbia University, New York Jonathan Shapiro ( Zapiro ) Leading editorial cartoonist (Sunday Times, Sowetan, Mail&Guardian) Fulbright (1988): Non-degree studies in Media Arts, School of Visual Arts, New York Deon Opperman Playwright, actor and theatre director Fulbright (1992): Master s degree in Film and Television, Northwestern University, Chicago Prof Franklin Larey Concert pianist and Professor at College of Music, UCT Fulbright (1986): PhD in Music Performance, Univ of Cincinnati Other Dr Benny Mokaba Executive Director: SASOL, previously PETROSA chairman Fulbright (1986): PhD Sociology, Brandeis University, Boston 5

6 Judge Peter Mothle Judge of the North and South Gauteng High Courts Fulbright (1986): Master s in Law, George Washington University Dr Yvonne Dladla: Executive Director of the National Productivity Institute. Fulbright (1985): PhD in Sociology and Social Work at Boston University, USA. Dr Yvonne Muthien Chairperson of the Sasol Inzalo Foundation. Chairperson of the President's Advisory Council, appointed by Nelson Mandela in Chief Executive of Group Services at Sanlam Limited, Vice President Public Affairs, Coca-Cola Africa and Group Executive MTN. Fulbright (1979) : Master s degree, Northwestern University, Illinois (PhD, Oxford University) Prof Mzobz Mboya Head of Education and Training at NEPAD Fulbright (1984): PhD Dr Robin Petersen CEO: South African Football Association (SAFA) Development Agency CEO: SAFA CEO: Nutrihealth Africa Fulbright (1989): PhD in Theology and Ethics, University of Chicago, Illinois Dr Seshi Chonco Director of Companies Managing Director, Denel (Pty) Ltd Chairperson, Tourism KwaZulu-Natal Executive director of Caltex Oil. Fulbright (1982): Master of Arts, Michigan State University Manelisi Genge Ambassador of South Africa to the Republic of Congo Fulbright (1991): Michigan State University (degree not yet known) Mzamo Michael Mlengana President: Corporate Business Development, TELKOM First president of AFASA (African Farmers Association of Africa) Fulbright (1990) : MA Degree in Financial Economics and Economic development, Graduate School of Economics and International Studies, Denver, Colorado, USA. 6

President Dennis Assanis

President Dennis Assanis Strategic Planning Where are we now? Where do we want to go? Identify peer institutions for comparison current and aspirational Articulate shared vision and identify cross-cutting