Dear Alumnus
It is sad to see the COVID-19 crisis impacting the essence of our alumni events calendar — which is to connect and to build a vibrant community in and across Europe through in-person events. It is with gratitude that I can look back at meeting Maties in Stuttgart, Ghent, Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Leuven, Munich and Frankfurt in the first quarter of 2020. The enthusiasm for Stellenbosch University (SU) and interactions between alumni were heart-warming. Thank you for your support.
The events of the past weeks have triggered emotions around the globe. Our countries are facing an unprecedented health crisis in this pandemic. The respective governments have taken drastic measures to stem the further spread of the corona virus which has required great adaptability from all of us. This has had a major impact on our daily lives, but is necessary to protect ourselves and others — especially those deemed as vulnerable.
As part of this effort, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, has declared a national state of disaster and has called for a 21 day lockdown. This means that the Development & Alumni Relations Division of SU has now cancelled all alumni events to be held between 18th March and 30th June 2020. This extends to our events in Europe, although the policy deadline here will be assessed on a rolling basis, pending local government directives.
I am hopeful that as we recover from the impact of the corona virus, we will have a stronger sense of solidarity. This is a momentary pause in events and travel, but Stellenbosch University’s commitment to education as a means to transform lives and society, remains unshaken.
We look forward to keeping you updated over the coming weeks and welcome, as always, your engagement with us. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at alisonapril@sun.ac.za if you have queries.
Please take care and keep safe.
With warmest regards.
Alison April
European Director
Development and Alumni Relations
Stellenbosch University
