Durban University of Technology (DUT) has established Africa’s premier branch of the prestigious Nishan World Centre for Confucian Studies. The Centre was built on the strong foundation laid by the DUT Confucius Institute (CI) and was inaugurated on 13 June 2025, during a visit by a high-level Chinese delegation led by Ms Guo Chengyan, Deputy Director of the Nishan World Centre for Confucian Studies and Vice-Chairman of the China Confucius Foundation.

Professor Fulufhelo Nemavhola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement at DUT, welcomed the delegation and hailed the partnership as “a strategic alignment with DUT’s ENVISION2030 strategy.” In his address, Professor Nemavhola committed to providing full institutional support for the initiative, stating: “We will support our Confucius Institute to drive this Centre’s mission, establishing the Confucius Culture Exhibition Centre at DUT, facilitating deep scholarly exchanges between Chinese and African indigenous cultures and co-hosting impactful international conferences.”

Pictured: Professor Fulufhelo Nemavhola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement at DUT, and and Ms Guo Chengyan, Deputy Director of the Nishan World Centre for Confucian Studies (NWCCS) and Vice-Chairman of the China Confucius Foundation, at the partnership meeting.

Ms Guo Chengyan framed the collaboration through the Confucian principle of “Harmony in Diversity, Shared Progress.” She emphasised the Centre’s unique mandate: “The Durban branch will pioneer African-contextualised Confucian studies, creating dialogue between the Confucian ethos and Africa’s Ubuntu philosophy. This fusion offers new pathways for multicultural coexistence.”

Mr Wu Lin, Chinese Director of the DUT Confucius Institute, noted: “Confucianism is central to understanding China. As KwaZulu-Natal’s flagship Chinese education hub for a decade, DUT CI will help African communities engage authentically with Chinese thought, promoting mutual learning and innovative cultural fusion.”

As one of only four global branches of Nishan World Centre for Confucian Studies, the DUT Branch will focus on four core areas designed for tangible impact: Groundbreaking research on African-engaged Confucianism, Building Sustainable Mechanisms for China-Africa civilisational dialogue, Cross-border professional development for young scholars, Innovating Chinese Language and Culture Courses tailored to local contexts and needs.

“This partnership transcends academia,” concluded Professor Nemavhola. “It positions DUT at the nexus of Global South knowledge systems, empowering our scholars to reshape transnational dialogue.”

Pictured: Pictured: Professor Fulufhelo Nemavhola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement at DUT and Ms Guo Chengyan, Deputy Director of the Nishan World Centre for Confucian Studies (NWCCS) and Vice-Chairman of the China Confucius Foundation, at the partnership meeting.

Mr Frank Lin WU