CPUT recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two of the top universities in the Hebei Province of China to co-operate in various academic activities.

The MoU was signed at the Bellville Campus recently during a visit by leaders of the province’s Education Department as well as the management of Hebei University of Economics and Business and Hebei University of Technology.

To welcome the Chinese to Cape Town, a delegation consisting of CPUT Vice-Chancellor, Dr Prins Nevhutalu, DVC’s Anthony Staak and Chris Nhlapo, faculty deans and managers of key departments and units explained the university’s academic programmes.

The collaboration was initiative by Prof Staak, after he visited the Hebei province last year and was impressed with what he saw at their universities.

“The purpose of the meeting is to establish opportunities of collaboration and today we have people who can identify those opportunities,” says Staak.

To promote faster development of education, the Hebei Province is collaborating with over 200 educational institutions among nearly 30 countries in areas such as exchanges of lecturers and students, overseas study and scientific research.

“The Hebei Provincial Education Department commits itself to developing co-operation with foreign administrative departments and education institutions,” says Liu Jiaomin, Director General at the province’s Education Department.

Nevhutalu says in order to take the co-operation to the next level they must identify good researchers who would be willing to collaborate on various projects.

A task team composed of members from the three universities was established to identify specific activities of collaboration between the trio.