University of Cape Town

Dept. of Astronomy

Dept. of Physics

Dept. of Maths and Applied Maths

South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO)

The University of Cape Town, on the slopes of Devil's Peak.

The Vanderbilt—Cape Town Partnership

Research Projects | Courses and Training | Faculty and Students
Fisk University | University of the Western Cape

Vanderbilt University

Dept. of Physics & Astronomy

Materials Science Program

SMARTS Telescopes at CTIO

About Vanderbilt

About Nashville

Vanderbilt University is located near downtown Nashville.

News

• Vanderbilt News Service article about the launch of the Vanderbilt–Cape Town program.
• Vanderbilt University's Former Chancellor addresses the faculty about the importance of international partnerships, including this program.
• Vanderbilt University's International Office is a key sponsor of this program.
• Video about the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program.

About the Vanderbilt–Cape Town partnership
A primary goal of the Vanderbilt-Cape Town partnership is to recruit and train more astronomers, physicists, and materials scientists in South Africa and US, particularly students from underrepresented backgrounds. Like African Americans and other underrepresented groups in the United States, black Africans are underrepresented in the physical sciences. Under the agreement between recently signed by Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee and UCT Vice Chancellor Njabulo S. Ndebele, Vanderbilt and UCT are core partners in research and education initiatives benefiting students, faculty and staff at both universities. Both universities are making plans for this new partnership to extend beyond the typical student exchange programs to include opportunities for collaborative research and study across several academic disciplines.

Mini-Grants Available from the Vanderbilt International Office
The Vanderbilt International Office has announced a mini-grants program to support collaborative research, as well as student and faculty exchanges, between Vanderbilt and the University of Cape Town. Applications and instructions can be found here.

Opening Workshop: Agenda, presentations, and initial outcomes
Faculty from Vanderbilt University and South Africa's University of Cape Town (UCT) together with members of the physics department of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) met March 4-7, 2007, in Cape Town to discuss how to work together and to brainstorm initial possibilities for research and student exchanges. The meeting agenda and presentations can be found here.