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DUT Talks Energy and Training with French Embassy

DUT Talks Energy and Training with French Embassy

The Durban University of Technology hosted delegates from the French Ministry of Education and Higher Education at the Steve Biko Campus on Monday, 7 September 2015, to explore partnerships in regard to developing skills and training in South Africa. This was done in preparation for the nuclear reactor tender and project.
The Executive Dean in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Prof Theo Andrew, says the University is happy to continue a relationship with the French authorities for the benefit of those involved.
“We have established a track record with the French Embassy and several French universities with respect to research projects, staff and students exchange,” he said.
Prof Andrew said DUT was hoping to have staff exchanges, specialised courses and a meaningful collaboration with the TVET sector in Durban as far as the development of specialised skills went.
One of French South African Schneider Electric Education Centre delegates, Professor Alexandre Sebastiani, said: “We need to focus on how you train the youth of South Africa to be the builders of nuclear projects. We want to build an effective structure. We are here to collect information and see how it is going to be possible.”
Added DUT vice chancellor, Professor Ahmed Bawa: “We have been working in the energy sector for a long time. More recently at DUT, we have created something called the Centre of Energy Studies, and this initiative is ready to give us a platform in the physics department. It is an institutional centre, and it provides us the basics to bring together both the engineering and the physics into a single entity around energy.”
Bawa also emphasised that DUT focused on strong training for the nuclear and engineering sector, as DUT had a very strong history in the training area. “Our engineering faculty has both light and heavy current electronics, and the training would be broad spectrum training. We, as DUT, had a meeting with Eskom some months ago and they were very keen for us to launch some training programmes based on nuclear projects. We have very strong nuclear research programmes around the country,’’ explained Prof Bawa.
Pictured” Prof Bawa and one of the French delegates discuss ideas on research projects, staff and students exchange programmes, at the meeting.
Sihle Ndebele and Mxolisi Ntanzi

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