DCS, the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) and the Ross School of Business (RSB), as well as the African Studies Center at the University of Michigan, won a bid administered by Higher Education for Development on a project to build the capacity of the University of Johannesburg to train current and future generations of leaders in Transportation and Supply Chain Management. The grant is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The three-year South Africa Logistics Excellence and Transportation Training Initiative project will provide opportunities to South Africans – especially marginalized and underprivileged groups - through faculty and student exchanges, internship programs, and curriculum development.
The need to build capacity in transportation through higher education and training programs in South Africa has become apparent because of the critical importance that the transportation and tourism sectors are playing in growing, sustaining and diversifying the South African economy. Rail lines, roads, shipping and air transport in the country are very modern, but there are deep concerns about a present and future skills shortfall that could slow economic growth.
Likewise, while the South African education is one of the best on the continent, racially-biased policies have denied a segment of the population the chance to develop skills necessary to enhance and manage the country’s transportation sector.
For the project, DCS, RSB and UMTRI will assess course offerings and teaching methods that lay the groundwork for development of new teaching methods; develop and enhance courses and degree programs in transportation, logistics, and supply chain management; and increase the interaction and awareness of transportation issues among students, faculty, government officials, business leaders and community representatives.