The Durban University of Technology (DUT), through its Africa-centred internationalisation collaborative project, the African Partnerships Universities Alliance (APUA), recently participated in the UNESCO Intercultural Competences Conference held in Rabat, Morocco. Guided by the theme “Exploring Intercultural Competences in an African Context,” this participation formed part of APUA’s aim to promote Africa-to-Africa engagement by enabling DUT academics and practitioners to engage, network, exchange knowledge, and explore collaborations with their counterparts in other African countries. This participation aligns with DUT’s ENVISION2030 framework of being an engaged university, which strengthens its staff capabilities and opportunities for building meaningful partnerships.
DUT’s Professor Pholoho Morojele, Professor Pfano Mashau, Professor Nkululeko Zungu, and APUA Project Manager Ms Nonhle Mdlalose participated in an APUA consortium workshop titled “Advancing Unity in Diversity through Africa-to-Africa Higher Education Partnerships.” The session brought together DUT academics alongside the University of Limpopo’s Prof Lulu Mmakola, Dr Dineo Bopape, Dr Madireng Monyela; Rhodes University’s Orla Quinlan, Prof Tshidi Mohapeloa, Prof Patrice Mwepu; Mangosuthu University of Technology’s Prof Xolile Mkhize and Dr Thobeka Makhathini; Walter Sisulu University’s Prof Adebola Oyedeji.
Through this collaborative platform, participants shared experiences of how intercultural competences intersect with their own disciplinary contexts, pedagogies, and institutional realities. The workshop highlighted the diversity of African academic environments and showcased how scholars navigate cultural understanding, identity, language, values, and social contexts within teaching, research, and community-engaged practices. It also created space for exchanging knowledge, gaining deeper insight into African lived realities, and exploring avenues for future collaboration within the APUA network.
DUT’s emerging researcher, Dr Prim-Rose Makhosazane Shabane, who recently completed her PhD, presented insights from her study on the lived experiences of self-identifying lesbian youth in KwaZulu-Natal. Her contribution added an important voice to discussions on identity, belonging, and the cultural nuances shaping young people’s experiences in South Africa, reinforcing APUA’s focus on early-career academic development and capacity building.
Sharing her insight was Nonhle Mdlalose, a Project Manager at DUT, who had facilitated the collaborative workshop and supported the showcase of how DUT advances unity in the institution’s diverse university communities, which host students and staff of different cultures, languages, and backgrounds.
“This required a strategic facilitation inclusive of the DUT, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Limpopo, Mangosuthu University of Technology, and Rhodes University, living up to our commitment of being productive in our mutually beneficial partnerships,” she said.
The participation of DUT academics at the UNESCO ICC Conference demonstrated the value of Africa-centred internationalisation in strengthening knowledge exchange and fostering relationships grounded in cultural awareness and mutual learning. It also provides meaningful opportunities for DUT scholars to engage in discussions on identity, cultural understanding, and the broader dimensions of intercultural competencies shaping higher education on the continent.
Pictured: Attendees at the UNESCO Intercultural Competences Conference held in Rabat, Morocco.
Story: Supplied
