Warwick in Africa turns 15!

Thank you to those who joined us to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the programme on Thursday 6 May 2021. It was a lovely opportunity to reflect on the key moments of the last 15 years and to hear from our wonderful partners, students and supporters. We hope you enjoyed it!

If you’d like to revisit the event or weren’t able to attend, the recording and the videos played on the night are available to watch below.

Thank you

Thank you to all our funders, big and small, who together have ensured that our skilled volunteers can reach the learners and teachers.

We are also tremendously grateful for our partnerships with schools, universities and governments to ensure the programme takes place each year.

Your generosity has made an enormous impact and we hope you will continue to support us to achieve even more in years to come.

Meet our event speakers:

Professor Christine Ennew - Provost

Chris supports the Vice-Chancellor in the academic leadership of the University. A key aspect of her role is leading the development and delivery of the University’s academic strategy, ensuring that Warwick remains competitive and relevant within HE and beyond.

She has a particular interest in the nature, growth and development of international higher education. A long-term supporter of Warwick in Africa, she is Chair of the programme’s Steering Group.

Milton Nkosi - Journalist  

Milton Nkosi was the BBC’s Africa Bureau Analyst and Correspondent until the end of January 2020. He joined the Corporation in the late 80s, just before the release of Nelson Mandela. He covered all of the township wars and the subsequent political negotiations that followed.

Despite being an award-winning journalist, Mr Nkosi would rather people remember that he is an ordinary township boy from Orlando West in Soweto, who supports Orlando Pirates! Nkosi was born in Soweto. He is married with two children and lives in Johannesburg.

Professor Colin Sparrow - Programme Director

Colin is a Professor in the Warwick Mathematics Institute, where he was Head of Department, 2005-2018. He was involved with the start-up of Warwick in Africa which began by sending 12 students volunteers from Mathematics to Johannesburg for a 2-week visit in 2006.

Colin is currently the Academic Director for the Doctoral College in Warwick, with a special interest in the research and education of Warwick’s postgraduate research students. He has been the Director of the Warwick in Africa programme since 2013.

Riddhi Vyas - Former student volunteer and Operational Resilience, VP at JPMorgan Chase & Co. 

Riddhi attended the University of Warwick between 2007-2011, completing her undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and the PGCE in Secondary Mathematics. She spent 5 years working as a mathematics teacher in London, and is now a Vice President at JPMorgan Chase.

She has participated in Warwick in Africa four times, from 2009 – 2013, teaching in Alexandria and Limpopo in South Africa, and Accra and Agona in Ghana.

Patrick Dunne - Founder, Warwick in Africa

Patrick is a Warwick Maths and Stats alumnus and longstanding supporter of the University who founded Warwick In Africa with Mary McGrath and Colin Sparrow in 2006. He has extensive experience in founding and developing social enterprises with a focus on disadvantaged young people and education. Most notably ESSA - Education Sub-Saharan Africa, the EY Foundation and Leap Confronting Conflict.

He is an experienced Chair and board member including nine years serving on the University Council. His Boardelta business helps boards around the world to improve their effectiveness. Patrick is also the author of the award-winning “Boards” book, a Visiting Professor at Cranfield and a Trustee of the Chartered Management Institute.

Reuel Khoza - Founder, Acorns to Oaks and former Trustee 

Dr Reuel Khoza is a Warwick graduate having completed an Engineering Doctorate at the University of Warwick in 2006 and received an Honorary Doctorate from Warwick in 2020. An esteemed thought leader and businessman, Dr Khoza has been at the helm of numerous institutions serving as a chair and director over the years. He was Chancellor of the University of Limpopo, succeeding Nelson Mandela, until September 2017.

Dr Khoza is passionate about education and inspiring young people and has been involved in several philanthropic initiatives, building Acorns-to-Oaks Comprehensive School in his hometown of Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, and devoting time to supporting Warwick in Africa as one of the trustees for the Friends of the University of Warwick in South Africa Trust.