advertisement
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit

Monash is exiting South Africa, now what?

Earlier this week we woke up to the news that Australia’s Monash University is pulling out of South Africa, with no clear indication on why they were selling at the time.

More details have arrived, however, following a joint press release made by Monash South Africa (MSA) and ADvTECH (PDF), with the former purchasing MSA for an estimated R343 million.  

“Monash had been looking for a partner to take over the South African institute for some time,” explains group academic director at ADvTECH, Felicity Coughlan.

The pair also reassured the students currently attending the university that they will be well cared for, with the number of learners sitting at an estimated 6 500.

Naturally there was some skepticism, with several queries from students regarding the status of their studies, but Monash has taken to its Twitter account in order to provide greater clarity.

MSA also stated that it was happy that ADvTECH had acquired its organisation, citing that the involvement of a local entity would present new opportunities.

“MSA is excited about becoming part of ADvTECH as well as the opportunities that a new steward with local insights, views and experiences will bring the development of high quality education for South Africa,” added Prof. Alwyn Louw, CEO and academic president of MSA.

For those unfamiliar with ADvTECH, it has existing brands such as Varsity College, Rosebank College, and Vega under its belt. As for Monash University, ADvTECH says it plans to rebrand the tertiary institution, with the West Rand campus said to be addressed in coming months.

For those who are registered with one of the tertiary institutions of ADvTECH, the organisations confirms that some of the registered MSA qualifications will be made available to them, although it has not been detailed which specific ones at this stage.

With the matric pass rate continuing to grow and entry spots at universities a premium, we were initially concerned that Monash’s exit would put even further strain on the tertiary education system.

As such, we’re happy to see ADvTECH commit to keeping the institution alive, even if it is under a different name.

The current issue for now, is the status of learners already enrolled at Monash, as well as what happens to the international accreditation the university once held. The moment that there is more clarity in this regard, the more at ease learners will be.

[Image – Scholarships.ng]

advertisement

About Author

advertisement

Related News

advertisement