Two years after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Higher Education South Africa (HESA) and the German Rectors’s Conference (HRK), the Durban University of Technology proudly hosted the conference as from Thursday 28 May 2015 to Friday, 29 May 2015.
The Conference, currently taking place at the University’s Hotel School Conference Centre, Ritson Campus, is being attended by Rectors (Vice-Chancellors/principals) from both South Africa and German universities. It is (conference) offering a multidisciplinary bilateral platform for all participants to exchange information on research topics and interests, while exploring new ways for scientific co-operation and research projects.
Welcoming guests, DUT-Vice Chancellor and Principal, Professor Ahmed Bawa, said the conference was a great platform for South Africa’s growing democracy and intellectual capability. “I would like to welcome you to South Africa’s not so young democracy which continues to be very complex. It is good for South Africa to be involved in intellectual studies about the society in transition and I hope this meeting will build strong linkages between South African and German universities,” he said.
The purpose of the agreement between HESA and HRK was to promote co-operation in the areas of teaching and learning, research and development, placement of doctoral students as well as exchange of students, senior and junior teaching staff and researchers.
Prof Wilhelm Löwenstein, Ruhr Universität Brochum , Germany,Vice-Rector, said the conference was an initiative aimed at strengthening the co-operation between South Africa and Germany whilst making the commitment between the universities visible.
Following the agreement, a joint HESA-HRK working group was formed to analyse the present scope of research co-operation and to make joint recommendations on how collaboration between the higher education communities of South Africa and Germany can be further developed.
Further proposing the need of working together amongst the two countries and making use of research from the scientists, Professor Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Witswatersrand, said the challenges faced by South Africa were transnational. “All our challenges are becoming transnational and increasingly, their consequences are also transnational whether it be global warming, inequality, terrorism, water, they are all transnational and so we going to start developing a global scientific community that comes to the fore to address these transnational challenges,” said Prof Habib.
Pictured: Prof Wilhelm Löwenstein, Vice-Rector, Ruhr Universität Brochum, delivering his keynote address during the German Rectors Conference at DUT.
– Noxolo Memela
Pictured: Professor Wilhelm Löwenstein, Ruhr Universität Brochum, Germany, Vice-Rector, delivering his address during the German Rectors Conference at DUT.
