Developing partnerships with international universities is evident through exchange programmes that exist between the DUT’s IEP International Education and Partnerships (IEP) office and various European universities in a bid to promote teaching innovation, learning and research.
DUT recently hosted an Orientation Day to welcome 70 international students from Germany and France at the DUT Art Gallery at Steve Biko Campus.
The IEP office arranged the orientation programme for the excited German and French Exchange students who are at the University for a semester period.
The international students were welcomed by IEP’s Seniour Director, Dr Lavern Samuels, as well as Dr Strini Pillay from the University’s Department of Public Management and Economics, who both spoke about the University’s partnership with various German and French universities as well as the cultural diversity that existed in the KwaZulu-Natal province.
Dr Samuels said it was important for international students to be inducted into how things worked at DUT, adding that getting them to settle in would enhance their experiences at the University. “While you come here as ambassadors from your respective countries, it’s very important to create groups of ambassadors who can go back to their own countries and speak about their rich, cultural experiences at DUT and South Africa, to their place of employment as well as within their communities,” he said.
The international students were also informed as to where they can also go for pastoral, logistical as well as counselling at DUT campuses.
Looking forward to her time at DUT is Miriam Gah, a Business Administration exchange student from Germany. “I came here because I wanted to experience being in a South African University in Durban such as DUT. I’m really excited about learning more about South Africa but I’m also nervous at the same time,” she said.
For Ingo Windhiuser, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student from Germany, she added that experiencing a new culture is going to be exciting for her. “It’s my first time in Durban. I’m currently staying in Glenwood which is wonderful so far. I only know the European culture so this is all very new to me. The first week we (students) came here to Durban we went to Cool Runnings at the beachfront and thoroughly enjoyed it. So, I’m really looking forward to my stay in Durban,” she said excitedly.
This student exchange initiative by the IEP was established 11 years ago with only two international students and has now grown in leaps and bounds.
– Sthabile Gwala and Waheeda Peters
Pictured: German and French international exchange students at the orientation event.
