Dr. Roger Barnsley, President and Vice-Chancellor of Thompson Rivers University, in conjunction with Cyndi McLeod, Executive Director of TRU World, and TRU’s Africa Committee will host two visitors from the National University of Lesotho.

Professors Mafa Sejanamane, Vice-Chancellor, and Professor Paul Odonkor, Dean of Health Sciences, will be on campus from October 4 through 7 to discuss a potential partnership between the National University of Lesotho and Thompson Rivers University, with a view to exploring strategies for faculty and students from both institutions to work collaboratively on future projects in Lesotho.

The Kingdom of Lesotho is located in the Southern part of Africa, and on October 4, 2005 the country will celebrate the anniversary of its 1966 Independence from Great Britain. A small and mountainous country, Lesotho struggles with HIV-Aids, poverty, and an ongoing drought.

Last month, Stephen Lewis, the UN’s Special Envoy for HIV/Aids in Africa, visited the National University of Lesotho and met with Professor Sejanamane; on this occasion, Dr. Lewis presented a small gift to the Vice-Chancellor on behalf of the TRU Africa Committee.

For more information, please contact Bronwen Scott by phone at 250-828-5739 or email.