The International Education and Partnerships Unit at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) hosted a successful International Exchange-Students Engagement on Wednesday, 27 June 2023 on Microsoft Teams. The webinar was facilitated by DUT’s Dr Moeti Kgware, Head of Department: Community Health Department (incorporating Child and Youth Care and Environmental Health), and Dr Juliet Ramohai: General Education: Centre for General Education.
The virtual International Exchange Students’ Engagement highlighted the importance of graduates with a global perspective. The past DUT International Exchange students shared their experiences and other encounters from their period of study abroad at DUT.
“These reflections will enable DUT to better enhance the study abroad programmes for the new and upcoming international exchange students; assisting DUT to better participate in global opportunities and to further inform the international office at DUT to offer more experience that is both academic and life changing; foster growth, greater confidence and increased international engagement for international exchange students at DUT,” said the International Student Relations Officer, Philiswa Mncube.
Dr Lavern Samuels: Director: International Education and Partnership welcomed everyone to the engagement. In his welcome presentation, Dr Samuels thanked those who could make it to the meeting, saying this was their first ever virtual engagement with exchanged students that have been with them in the past. He shared that he always referred to exchanged students as ambassadors from their countries and their universities every time when he welcomed them to the university. Dr Samuels added that the engagement would be based on the transformation that has occurred for the students. He focused on how they could use the virtual space to deepen their engagements and also make it sustainable. He then proposed having an Alumni group for exchange students.
“I think the short stay that the students had at DUT has had a great impact on them, but we only see how that impact unfolds in their lives once they go back, reflect on it and go into work situations and take these experiences into their lives. With all the credits accounted, internationalisation is a transformational endeavour rather than a transactional one,” said Dr Samuels.
Prof Thomas Dobbelstein: Professor for Market Research and Retailing focused his presentation on what DUT can do to address the situation of virtual engagements.
“The important thing to do is analysing situations in the past. The things that we are doing today are extremely important because they are the two things that we would like to do. It is our role to look back and see what your experience was, what was done right and what can to be improved in order to benefit the students that came after you,” said Prof Dobbelstein.
The five International Exchange students that were invited to the webinar were Sabine Ruetz, Michael Svoboda, Marc Lemke, Tobias Metz and Jacinthe Païs de Barros-Beauvoir.
One of the five hosted students, Tobias Metz, was one of the first Master’s exchange students at the DUT Business School.
“It was great experience for me because it was interdisciplinary exchange. I explored different topics and now I am in Germany working at the Hospitality Software industry,” he said sharing his experiences.
Sharing his experience on why he chose South Africa and the various questions he has been getting on his stay in South Africa, he had this to say, “When people asked why I chose South Africa and whether or not was it dangerous. I am now able to handle these questions and say how DUT has benefited into my professional life as well. It was my first time abroad when I arrived at DUT in 2019 and it was such an amazing experience. Out of all the choices that I had, I chose South Africa because I aimed to experience something different”.
Dr Moeti Kgware also spoke where he randomly asked the alumni the South African names they had learnt. Some of the names they recalled included, Themba, braai, sharp-sharp and sawubona. The group interestingly remembered so many South African words, slang and terms.
Dr Samuels concluded the webinar by thanking all the speakers who shared presentations and shared a special appreciation to the exchange students.
Pictured: The attendees at the event.
Nikiwe Sukazi
