The Durban University of Technology (DUT) hosted an important visit by guests from Guangxi in China and from the KwaZulu-Natal Premier’s Office on Friday, 30 August 2024. The visit was facilitated by the International Education and Partnerships (IEP) unit at DUT, in collaboration with the DUT Confucius Institute and the Corporate Affairs unit. This ‘meet and greet’ session aimed to foster international collaboration with a senior delegation from Guangxi Province in China.
Guangxi, a sister province to KwaZulu-Natal under a 2010 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), expressed keen interest in partnering with DUT, particularly in vocational education, tourism, culture and maritime industries. This visit marked a pivotal step in strengthening ties and exploring new opportunities for cooperation.
The Guangxi delegates consisted of Mr WANG Weiping (member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Organisation Department of the CPC Guangxi Committee), Mr YAN Bingchen (Deputy Director-General of the Guangxi Education Department), Mr ZHOU Tong (Deputy Director-General of the Guangxi Foreign Affairs Office), Mr CHEN Chuan (member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Organisation Department of the Communist Party of China-CPC Nanning Committee), Mr LIN Chuan (Principal Staff Member at Level 2 of the Organisation Department of the Communist Party of China-CPC Guangxi Committee), and Ms QIN Zunlu (Interpreter of the Guangxi Foreign Affairs Office).
The Guangxi delegates were welcomed by wonderful renditions of cultural songs by DUT’s Drama students. Guangxi representative, Mr WANG Weiping expressed his delight upon hearing the selection of songs that were sung by DUT Drama students and further paid a visit to the students who were in a class learning Mandarin at the Confucius Institute.
Frank Lin WU, Co-Dean of the DUT Confucius Institute, along with Mr Alan Khan from Corporate Affairs and Ms Carol Newman of the International Education and Partnerships unit, warmly received the Guangxi delegation and welcomed them to the DUT M.L Sultan campus.
Mr WANG Weiping commended the students for their grasp of learning the Mandarin language and encouraged the DUT students to visit Guangxi Provinceas a part of engagements that their province aims to collaborate and forge with DUT.
The Guangxi Province delegates were then given an opportunity to meet with DUT academics, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Thandwa Mthembu, Prof Fulufhelo Nemavhola: Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement, Prof Faizal Bux, Director: Institute for Water and Wastewater, Prof Suren Singh, Executive Dean: Faculty of Applied Sciences, Dr Nkululeko Zungu, lecturer in the Department of Marketing and Retail Management, Mr Lin Wu, Co-Dean of the DUT Confucius Institute, Dr Lavern Samuels, Director: International Education and Partnerships at DUT, Mr Alan Khan: Senior Director of Corporate Affairs, and IEPs Ms Carol Newman and Dr Divinia Jithoo.
Dr Samuels, as the Programme Director welcomed all the local and international delegates and introduced DUT, speaking on areas of possible international collaboration and on some academic reflections. He then spoke of the city of Durban, explaining that it is a major South African tourist destination and gateway to the spectacular Drakensburg Mountains.
“We have approximately 36 000 students, six faculties and seven campuses. We are located in Durban and Pietermaritzburg and also have Undergraduate to Doctoral programmes,” he added.
Dr Samuels further delved into the 18 DUT Research Focus Areas (RFAs) such as Water, Urban Futures Centre, Gender Justice, Health and Human Development, Peacebuilding, Transformation Through the Arts and Design, Enzyme Technology, Space Science, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Drug Delivery Systems-Plant Biotechnology, Green Engineering and Process Sustainability, Smart Grids, Management Sciences, Maternal Health Studies, ICT and Society, Energy, Systems Science, Nanotechnology, Food and Nutrition Security and Computational Modelling And Bioanalytical Chemistry.
Dr Samuels explained further on the comprehensive, inclusive and holistic internationalisation at DUT. “Internationalisation of higher education is a critical and comparative process of the study of the world and its complexities, past and present inequalities and injustices, and possibilities for a more equitable and just future for all,” he quoted from the definition penned by Dr Savo Heleta of the DUT IEP and Dr Samia Chasi of the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA).
Dr Samuels indicated that the way forward with the Guangxi Province delegates is through collaborations which include opportunities in collaborative online international learning, global learning, student and staff mobility and collaborative qualifications.
Guangxi representative, Mr WANG Weiping gave some context to the Guangxi Province and an overview, saying that Guangxi is a coastal province located in the southeast of China.
“Its capital city is known as Nanning. Noted for its agricultural production, it is also an important source for forest products. Guangxi is the only autonomous region in China that has both deep water seaports and land ports at its international borders,” he said.
With regard to possible new areas for cooperation, he also indicated an interest to discuss possibilities in working together in areas of economy and trade and culture and tourism.
After a robust discussion, the Guangxi Province delegates had a busy schedule and continued their tour, visiting the sites of Durban such as the Durban Port, the Cultural Affairs Directorate (Department of Sports, Arts and Culture), culminating into a dinner meeting with the Premier before the end of their trip.
Pictured: The Guangxi Province delegates and the DUT delegation exchanging gifts at the prestigious meeting.
Waheeda Peters
