New partnership with Stellenbosch University South Africa

21 June ’23

The University of Music and Theatre Munich has entered into a partnership with the music faculty of Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa. On 5 June 2023, Prof. Lydia Grün (President of the University of Music and Theatre) and Prof. Markus Bellheim (Head of the International Office at the University of Music and Theatre) met with Prof. Mario Nell (Dean of the Music Faculty at SU) and Dr. Bridget Rennie-Salonen (Head of the Woodwind Department at SU) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding.

Prof. Lydia Grün: »This new partnership lays the foundation for faculty and student exchange, research and joint projects with Stellenbosch University, an educational institution that enjoys an outstanding reputation within South Africa.«

Prof. Markus Bellheim emphasises: »The new partnership with Stellenbosch University is a great enrichment for the University of Music and Theatre. The planned exchange of teachers and students will enable a valuable sharing of experiences and mutual acquaintance with the musical cultures in Germany and South Africa, among other things through master classes, workshops and joint concerts.«

So far, our university has around 70 international partnerships with universities worldwide. An important part of the internationalisation strategy of the University of Music and Theatre, which was adopted in 2022, is the constant expansion of the existing global network and international artistic and academic exchange. In this context, our students, but also the teaching staff, are encouraged to spend part of their studies abroad and to see exchange projects as an integral part of their studies.

Stellenbosch University is located about 50 kilometres east of the centre of Cape Town. More than 100 years after gaining university status in 1918, SU today consists of 10 faculties with more than 30,000 students. SU’s Faculty of Music is one of the most important music training institutions on the African continent.