A special luncheon was held at DUT’s Health Sciences Boardroom recently to bid farewell DUT students who were off to Thailand to serve their internships and say goodbye to the University’s first three Thailand international students who had arrived at the University in November last year (2015) and were returning home after serving a five month internship in Durban.

Three DUT students have already left for their ‘once-in-lifetime’ work trip to Thailand to gain work experience at Western Digital, an international company at the forefront of manufacturing computer hard drives.

Third-year students Xavier Mutakaya (Industrial Engineering), Diveshan Naidoo (Computer Systems Engineering), Sboniso Skumbiso Gumede (Computer Systems Engineering) and Nicholas Darren Chetty (Computer Systems Engineering) have secured internships at the world-renowned electronics company as part of their work-integrated learning (WIL). Chetty will make his way to Thailand later in the year as soon as his documents are finalised and processed.
“I have got the most amazing opportunity to do my internship in Thailand. I am a bit nervous as it’s my first time flying and out of South Africa but I am looking forward to working and learning a lot at Western Digital and coming back in August and sharing my knowledge,” said an ecstatic Mutakaya.

Naidoo is also excited to go abroad to learn new work techniques in Thailand as well as experience the new cultures and traditions of the country.
Gumede said should a job opportunity come his way while in Thailand, he will consider staying in the country. He has started practising Thai phrases.
Making history at DUT were international students Krittanon Thongsut, Nitsuphang Kongsa and Watcharapol Wonglertarak, who were the first Thailand students to be given internships at Tongaat Huletts and DUT’s Institute for Water and Wastewater. All three have expressed how exciting and rewarding their experiences have been and were grateful to have had gained new knowledge and work experience in such a dynamic city like Durban, thanks to DUT’s Co-Operative Education Unit.
Shakeel Ori, Co-Operative Education Director at DUT said another Thai international student is scheduled to arrive at DUT later on in the year.

– Waheeda Peters

Pictured: DUT’s Professor Theo Andrew, Engineering and the Built Enviroment Faculty Executive Dean, Shakeel Ori, Co-Operative Education Director at DUT and Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa, DUT Registrar with the Thai exchange students and DUT students who are serving their internships in Thailand.