Durban University of Technology (DUT) welcomed a delegation from Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) in India at the Council Chamber, ML Sultan Campus in Durban on Friday, 02 October 2026.
The two universities have identified a number of areas for collaboration, including student mobility, faculty exchanges and visiting scholars, joint research, international research funding applications, joint PhD supervision, Sustainable Development Goals aligned activities, knowledge sharing and capacity building.
The signing ceremony marked DUT’s commitment to building mutually beneficial partnerships as aligned in its ENVISION2030 strategy.
Facilitating the engagements was Dr Lavern Samuels, Director of International Education and Partnerships at DUT. He highlighted the international collaboration opportunities, making emphasis on Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Virtual Exchange where DUT students will collaborate on shared projects with peers at MUJ.He also shared with the delegation the overview of DUT as well as a video showcasing DUT research excellence.
In his welcome remarks was Professor Fulufhelo Nemavhola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement at DUT said as part of DUT’s ENVISION2030 commitment to producing graduates who are both glocal and adaptive, the university is strengthening how its staff and students engage with the world.
MUJ President, Prof Niti Nipun Sharma shared the institutional overview, strategic priorities and opportunities for collaboration with DUT. He commended DUT for its accolades, research and innovation over the years, expressing their interest in the collaboration.
Prof Sharma shared that MUJ is a multidisciplinary university comprising of four faculties: Faculty of Science, Technology and Architecture; Faculty of Management, Commerce and Arts; Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Law. Its academic offerings span engineering, information technology, computer science, artificial intelligence and machine learning, data science, Internet of Things (IoT) and intelligent systems, architecture and design, sciences, management and commerce, arts and humanities, hospitality and tourism, journalism and communication, psychology and health sciences, pharmacy and law.
Speaking on research and postgraduate collaboration opportunities such as joint research, postgraduate supervision and collaborative research funding opportunities was Dr Vaneshree Govender, Manager: Research Capacity Development under the Research and Postgraduate Support Unit at DUT.
Prof Molusiwa Ramabodu, Acting Executive Dean: Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at DUT identified potential areas for academic and research collaboration within his faculty. Meanwhile Prof Oludayo Olugbara, Executive Dean in the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics was excited to further engage with MUJ for collaboration in Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence after getting the opportunity to take them to some of the faculty’s laboratories.
DUT’s Acting Director, Technology, Transfer and Innovation, Dr Pinkie Ntola who spoke on opportunities for collaborative innovation, technology transfer and entrepreneurship was fascinated by Dr Ankit Mundra’s: Deputy Director: Directorate of Quality and Compliance and Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Technology presentation. She was keen to further explore MUJ’s industry funded labs and discuss patents.
Sharing similar sentiments was Mr Norman Ronald, Acting Senior Director: Centre for Quality Promotion and Assurance. He highlighted DUT’s institutional quality promotion and opportunities for knowledge exchange.
Signing on behalf of DUT was Professor Nemavhola, DVC: RIE while MUJ was represented by its President, Prof Niti Nipun Sharma.
During their visit to DUT, the MUJ delegation toured research and innovation laboratories in the Faculties of Engineering and the Built Environment, as well as Accounting and Informatics, to explore potential areas for further collaboration.
The MoU provides a foundation for the two universities to work together in research, teaching, innovation and academic exchange.
Pictured: Professor Nemavhola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement at DUT signing MoU with MUJ President, Prof Niti Nipun Sharma.
Photographer: Sifundo Thwala
Simangele Zuma
