An Erasmus Visit

An Erasmus Visit 
By Ekrem Şimşek

Nestled in South Africa’s Western Cape, just a short drive from Cape Town, Stellenbosch is an incredibly beautiful town surrounded by dramatic mountain ranges. Founded all the way back in 1679, it’s the second-oldest European settlement in the country, and you can really feel that history as you walk down its famous oak-lined streets filled with historic Cape Dutch architecture. Right in the heart of town is Stellenbosch University, a fantastic research hub that’s been around in some form since the 1860s, before its official establishment in 1918. 

During my visit to this vibrant campus, I had the absolute pleasure of attending and leading a few seminars. One of my favorite sessions was centered around the Academic Literacies course. I got to chat about how crucial it is to help students build up their critical thinking, academic writing, and presentation skills. We looked at how these courses have evolved over time and discussed the best ways to get students ready for today's fast-changing academic world.

It turned into a wonderful conversation; we swapped stories and talked about the fascinating similarities and differences between higher education in our countries. I was so touched by the warm welcome and the great feedback I received—and it was such a lovely surprise when the university posted about my visit on their LinkedIn and Instagram pages! It was truly a memorable trip that I'll look back on fondly.

LinkedIn: Click here
Instagram: Click here.