Oxford University Press Southern Africa and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation (MRF) announced a unique Black Economic Empowerment partnership on Tuesday that will benefit future generations of African scholars.
Signed by Nelson Mandela and Oxford University Vice Chancellor Dr John Hood at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, the partnership entails a 25.1% share transfer from Oxford University Press (OUP) to the Mandela Rhodes Foundation (MRF).
The partnership will assist the Foundation in extending its work in the promotion of scholarship and leadership in South Africa and the African continent at large. CEO of the MRF Shaun Johnson says the Foundation's aim is to have 100 students in residence at various tertiary institutions by 2012.
There are currently 27 Mandela Rhodes Scholars in residence.
"Rather than meeting BEE requirements because you have to, [we wanted to] make something magnificent," said Johnson
The Foundation also aims to extend its reach into more African countries. "We don't just want 100 students, but also a wider spread of African students within that 100," says the Foundation's PR officer Rob McLeod. "We want to move into being a Pan African Scholarship."
Addressing media and invited guests, Dr Hood said that OUP Southern Africa had long been eager to engage in Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment, but needed to find the right partner for the UK-owned company's activities in South Africa.
"OUP was seeking a partner that shared a deep commitment to the promotion of educational and scholarly values. The scholarships that the Foundation so invaluably provides have the stated aims of promoting academic excellence, leadership, education, reconciliation and entrepreneurship. It is difficult to imagine a more appropriate partner organisation," he said.
Since its launch in 2003 the Mandela Rhodes Foundation has awarded scholarships to 66 scholars with a further 35 to be added in October when the 2009 scholars are announced. The organisation's central purpose is to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa.
