Our bridging program is a post-school program aimed at preparing the participants not only for an academic career, but also for life after school, in a challenging environment. It will also prepare participants for study at universities and is a certified course at the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) as well as Services Seta. It must not be considered a waste of time for students who already have a matric, but rather a preparation so that they can draw the maximum benefit from their academic and other careers. It will seek to provide the knowledge, and instil the skills needed to complete a successful academic career, and also to be a leader in society. We expect to receive students from communities across Southern Africa, and we are therefore prepared to engage with learners from a range of academic and cultural backgrounds and different levels of academic skills. The aim of LUSA is to turn its students into responsible, well-informed citizens capable of critical and creative thinking. In the same spirit, the bridging program is designed to lay a solid foundation for the academic training and research envisaged at LUSA and similar tertiary institutions, and also for the leadership roles students are expected to take on. In order to do so, but also to make up for deficiencies that might exist in the current academic training of students, this bridging program, which will run for ten months, has been designed to precede the academic program. The academic requirements for higher education courses include a proper command of English, a familiarity with mathematical concepts, and some preparation in life skills such as ethics, diversity management, problem solving, etc. Our bridging programme caters for this. A spirit of community is fostered among students, to develop tolerance and understanding among themselves and to provide them with the normative and intellectual tools with which to understand and manage their environment, both during their future University studies, in their own communities and in the region. A spirit of collegiality among teaching staff and between staff and students is also be fostered. The bridging course will give attention to the cultural context, and will emphasise the African origin of a number of philosophical concepts, as well as the role and importance of African thinkers in a global context. This program will use the available time wisely by laying a foundation for future leadership and transformation of society, as well as successful future study and research. The program will also involve the parents of students and will place the student and community in a framework for full participation in a global community of thinkers, researchers and business leaders.