Strengthening Global Partnerships in Nursing Education: The Presence team from North-West University visits the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

On 8 June 2026, a delegation of six academics visited the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht (HU) in the Netherlands as part of an initiative to strengthen international collaboration in nursing education, research, and healthcare. The delegation comprised Professor Tinda Rabie, Dr Kathleen Froneman, Mrs Anna-Therese Swart, and Ms Marcadonatos from the School of Nursing at North-West University (NWU), South Africa, together with Dr Rudo Ramalisa from the University of Pretoria (UP) and Dr Lillian Kalimashe, a specialised Community Psychiatric Nurse coordinating mental health services within a South African health district.

The day commenced with a warm welcome from Eva Povel, Institute Director at HU, followed by a series of presentations showcasing the University's innovative approaches to internationalisation, curriculum development, leadership, implementation science, and student-led community care projects. These sessions provided valuable insight into how HU prepares future nurses to meet the changing demands of healthcare.

The afternoon programme showcased the expertise of the South African delegation.

Dr Rudo Ramalisa presented the “Ubuntu Community Model in Nursing”.

Professor Tinda Rabie and Mrs Anna-Therese Swart introduced “Primary Health Care from a South African perspective”.

Dr Lillian Kalimashe shared “Guidelines for relational leadership in primary healthcare”, drawing on her extensive experience in community psychiatric nursing and mental health service coordination.

Dr Kathleen Froneman concluded the programme with a presentation on her model for “Guiding nurse educators to facilitate presence through reflective practices for transformative learning”. 

Following a guided walk across the HU campus, the day concluded with a live-streamed collaboration meeting between colleagues from the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and North-West University. Representing NWU were Professor Molekodi Matsipane (Director School of Nursing), Professor Khumo Shopo (Deputy Director: Potchefstroom Campus), Professor Rorisang Machailo (Deputy Director: Mahikeng Campus), Professor Welma Lubbe (Director: NuMIQ) and Professor Emmerentia du Plessis (Presence team lead). The meeting focused on opportunities for future collaboration, including joint research initiatives, staff and student mobility, postgraduate supervision, and strengthening the partnership between the two institutions.

The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of both institutions to innovation, compassionate care, and excellence in nursing education. More importantly, it demonstrated how international partnerships create opportunities to learn from one another, exchange ideas, and work together to prepare healthcare professionals who can make a meaningful impact in their communities.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our colleagues at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht for their warm hospitality and inspiring discussions and look forward to strengthening this valuable partnership in the years ahead.