The University of Venda (Univen) held a cultural reception dinner to welcome 13 members of the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellowship shortly after their arrival on Tuesday night.

The visitors will leave the country next week Tuesday after meeting the university management and senior administrators. They will also visit Johannesburg and Cape Town before leaving the country.

ACE is an American-based administration and leadership grooming organization, formed 41 years ago. It focuses mainly on grooming leaders in higher education institutions where members are given an opportunity to experience how institutions from other countries practice their leadership skills. The organization is made up of people who occupy leadership roles in different institutions of higher learning.

The 13 members come from the State University of New York, Northern Kentucky University, College of William and Mary, Southern Osborne University and the George Washington University.

The special visit comes after a prominent Univen scholar, Prof Sophie Mahoko, accompanied by three other delegates from the Universities of Zululand, Western Cape and Tswane University of Science and Technology, visited ACE on a leadership programme in September last year. The four delegates were chosen from the previously disadvantaged higher learning institutions to attend leadership workshops in the USA, with ACE as their host.

Univen’s Registrar, Mr Khuliso Nemadzivhanani, said the institution is happy to receive members of ACE as the visit will benefit the university through leadership skills interaction.

“Although we are one of the younger universities in the country, we are very innovative in our core business of delivering quality education to the disadvantaged communities. This visit is clearly an indication that our cooperation with other institutions of higher learning, even outside the country, is bearing fruits that will benefit our students, staff members and members of the immediate communities we serve. This institution welcomes ACE members whole-heartedly and they must know that they have now found a new home at the University of Venda.”

On behalf of ACE, Charles Wilson, who comes from the State University of New York, passed his gratitude to the leadership of Univen, for the kind reception. “We have travelled thousands of miles from the US not knowing that we are coming to our second home. The reception completely exceeded our expectations and we are looking forward to good cooperation that will bear fruits for both the USA and South Africa.”