Trilateral staff development and exchange program (TriStaX)
Learning with and from each other – across three continents
The TriStaX (Trilateral Staff Development and Exchange) program is an annual initiative jointly organized by Northwestern University (USA), Stellenbosch University (South Africa), and the University of Hamburg (Germany). It aims to strengthen the professional development of administrative staff through international exchange, skills sharing, and collaborative learning. Hosted on a rotating basis, each partner university contributes thematic priorities to the program. Since its launch in 2022 at Stellenbosch University, TriStaX has been held at Northwestern University in 2023, the University of Hamburg in 2024, and again at Stellenbosch University in 2025.
From 28 September to 2 October 2026, Northwestern University (Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA) will host this year’s program.
Administrative staff whose areas of work relate to the respective program theme are invited to apply.
2026 Program: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Tech Transfer
Northwestern University is delighted to host the 2026 program, focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer. The program will explore a range of topics, including:
- engaging students to broaden their imagination
- guiding students, fellows, and faculties through the idea development process
- harnessing indigenous knowledge for environmental and scientific advancement
- facilitating faculty and researcher partnerships with businesses and the public sector to transfer academic discoveries into products that benefit society
- supporting the protection of intellectual property and providing frameworks to assess whether innovations are ethical and contribute to a sustainable future
Participants will have the opportunity to visit Northwestern’s laboratories, incubators, accelerators, makerspaces, and other innovation hubs.
Apply now!
Learn more about this year's program and apply here.
The program is funded under the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder.