Life in Stellenbosch
The Town: Located in the Western Cape of South Africa, Stellenbosch was founded in 1679. However, it is not simply a town of dignified historic buildings and tree-lined avenues it is also a modern city, a bustling center for commerce, agriculture and education with the campus as an integral part. The town has moved with the times while maintaining its rural character and preserving its historic heritage. Stellenbosch is 12 miles from beautiful beaches and 34 miles from Cape Town. The active nature-lover can enjoy the hiking trails in the surrounding mountain ranges or even a walk in the town's nature reserve. Stellenbosch also offers a wide variety of cultural activities in which the university's departments of Music, Drama and Creative Arts play an important role. The Stellenbosch wine region, the Napa Valley of South Africa, is one of the oldest in the southern hemisphere, and certainly regarded as the most beautiful. [Source: www.go2africa.com]
Stellenbosch University: The history of the University of Stellenbosch dates back to the opening of the Stellenbosch Gymnasium in 1866. From a sma ll institution with a mere 500 students in 1918, Stellenbosch has grown into a modern university with nearly 25,000 students. The University of Stellenbosch aims to serve higher education in South Africa in the best possible way by delivering high quality teaching, research, and community service. Stellenbosch University commits itself to an outward-oriented role within South Africa, in Africa, and globally. As an academic institution of excellence and a respected knowledge partner, it contributes towards building the scientific, technological, and intellectual capacity of Africa. It is also an active role-player in the development of the South African society and its campus culture welcomes a diversity of people and ideas. Being historically and officially an Afrikaans institution, the University of Stellenbosch used to offer most of its classes in Afrikaans but reflecting the needs and interests of an increasingly diverse student body, the university recently started offering courses taught in English.
[Source: www.sun.ac.za]
Travel and Living
Students arrange and pay for their own round-trip transatlantic transportation to Cape Town. Students should arrive in Cape Town by Saturday, June 21, 2008 and plan to depart on August 2 --although many previous participants recommend staying an extra week to travel in South Africa and/or Southern Africa. Transport from the Cape Town International Airport to Stellenbosch University will be arranged for you.
Housing will be arranged by the EEE in University residence halls or a communal house.
Useful Websites for Traveling in South Africa
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