Writing to the MUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal on 21 December 2023, Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Resources, Innovation and Engagements (RIE) said: “It’s thumbs up to the MUT team whose posters and workshop concept papers were approved by SASUF for the SASUF Sustainability Forum taking place at Sweden, from 13-17 May 2024. Seven poster concept papers have been successfully approved; these were submitted by Drs Xolile Mkhize and Thobeka Makhathini, as well as Mbali Mkhize, Zama Sishi, Sibusiso Tshabalala, Nkululeko Nkosi, and Kavita Behara. In addition, I will be leading a satellite workshop with Sweden’s Lund University, and South Africa’s Durban University of Technology (DUT), while Awonke Mbangi, a Lecturer in the Department of Agriculture, will lead a satellite workshop with Sweden’s Swedish Agricultural University of Technology and Uppsala University, and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and South Africa’s Central University of Technology (CUT). The Department of Marketing and Communications’ Mbali Mkhize and Zama Sishi, will run a workshop with Sweden’s Karlstad University, and South Africa’s Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). In addition, I am also convenor of the workshop where Dr Makhathini and Behara will be participating with other colleagues from DUT, as well as Uppsala University”, said Professor Sibiya.
This is a great achievement for MUT’s internationalisation agenda, as well as RIE’s strategic direction as both these portfolios seek to elevate the MUT brand. The conference will be attended by more than 500 delegates from 40 universities in South Africa and Sweden. There will also be a student SASUF Network represented from each university. The selection of MUT submissions by SASUF follows a continuous campaign that was a collaboration between Professor Sibiya’s portfolio: RIE and MarComms which has been a driving force behind MUT’s internationalisation agenda, led by Mbali Mkhize, senior director: Marketing and Communications.