Yesterday, we held a special celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the University of Missouri South African Education Program (UMSAEP), our historic collaboration with the University of the Western Cape (UWC). The event built on the success of a similar celebration held in Cape Town earlier this year and honored the program’s impact across generations of scholars and students.

UMSAEP was launched in 1986 as a bold initiative to invest in educational partnerships that benefit both universities and the communities they serve. I was proud to recognize this remarkable history and the trailblazing figures who shaped its success across four decades.

I want to thank the many leaders from UWC who made the trip to Missouri for our celebration, including UWC Rector and Vice Chancellor Robert Balfour, who provided remarks, as well as Advisor to the Rector Shaun Pather, Director of International Relations Tasmeera Rajcoomar Singh, Deputy Dean Carolien van den Berg, Dean Rajendran Govender, Dean David Holgate, Dean Fatima Moolla, Dean Anita Padmanabhanunni and Dean Jeff Yengopal.

We were also honored to welcome distinguished guests from our campus community, including University of Missouri Board of Curators Chair Todd Graves, former UM System President Michael Middleton and First Lady Julie Middleton.

Featured speakers included the partnership’s founding director, Dr. Ron Turner, its current director, Professor Rod Uphoff, and Dr. Mary Stegmaier, vice provost for international programs.

I also want to acknowledge the members of the Board of Curators at the time of UMSAEP’s founding, including Doug Russell, Tom Smith, W.H. “Bert” Bates, Jeanne Epple, James Anderson, Eva Frazer, John Lichtenegger, Peter Raven and Ed Turner, as well as former President of the UM System C. Peter Magrath and former UWC Rectors Jakes Gerwel and Tyrone Pretorius. Their vision for UMSAEP continues to serve as a model for how universities can build and sustain long-term, successful partnerships.

Our commitment to collaboration has resulted in transformative research across more than 40 disciplines as well as hundreds of life-changing student exchanges. At our on-campus celebration, scholars from all four UM campuses and UWC showcased the impact of UMSAEP projects in health sciences, food security, nursing and agriculture, among other important areas.

UMSAEP continues to thrive thanks to the many faculty, students and leaders who are committed to building relationships that bridge continents and make a lasting impact in both countries. I’m thrilled to see what we will achieve in the next 40 years and beyond.

— Mun