A delegation from the Portuguese Embassy visited the Durban University of Technology’s ML Sultan Campus on Monday (July 8, 2013) where it was met and welcomed by International Education and Partnerships (IEP) office Director Dr Lavern Samuels and DUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Institutional Support Professor Nqabomzi Gawe.
The delegates were Dr Jaime Manuel Gonçalves de Freitas, Regional Secretary for Education and Human Resources – Regional Government of Madeira; Elias António de Sousa, Honorary Consul for Portugal in Durban and John Manuel Vieira de Gouveia, Chairman for the Portuguese Church of San Jose’.
Hosted at the IEP boardroom, the aim of their visit was to develop a partnership with the institution.
The discussions which took place on Monday were thus centred on their interest to formalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DUT, to offer Portuguese language courses to DUT students and staff; promote the exchange of students and staff between DUT and universities in Portugal as well as to foster research collaborations among DUT academics and researchers and their Portuguese counterparts.
IEP office Specialist Coordinator Deva Govindsamy has confirmed that plans are afoot to assist with the signing of the MOU. “The IEP Office will convene meetings with relevant DUT stakeholders and with the Portuguese Consul General’s Office in Durban to facilitate the signing of the MOU Agreement,” he said.
In the interim, Elias António de Sousa said he is very keen to provide resources on the Portuguese language and culture to the DUT Library and to bring on board educators from the local Portuguese community to partner with DUT.
– Thabo Maile
Pictured: Portuguese delegates during their visit to DUT on Monday, July 8, 2013.
Front row (L-R): John Manuel Vieira de Gouveia, Chairman for the Madeiran Community in Durban; Elias Anto’nia de Sousa, Honorary Consul for Portugal in Durban and Dr Jaime Manuel Goncalves de Freitas, Regional Secretary for Education and Human Resources – Regional Government of Madeira.
Back row (L-R): Deva Govindsamy, Specialist Coordinator: DUT International Education and Partnerships (IEP) office; Dr Lavern Samuels, Director: IEP office and Professor Nqabomzi Gawe, DUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Institutional Support.
