The entire MUT delegation’s participation in all four segments of the SASUF2024 Research and Innovation Week has firmly put the University on the world map. The MUT delegation took part in satellite workshops, poster presentations, sustainability workshops, and co-ordinators forum. Leading from the front was Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, who on 14 May 2024, made a presentation in a satellite workshop in partnership with DUT, and Lund University. “It took my collaborators and I at least two full days to firm up our presentation and to create team spirit needed to captivate and retain an audience for a full day session that was presented in person and online,” said Professor Sibiya. Further South of Sweden, in Uppsala University, Dr Awonke Mbangi, Senior Lecturer, Agriculture, co-hosted a satellite workshop on remediation of contaminated soils with partners from University of Johannesburg, Central University of Technology, Lulea University, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, and Uppsala University. It was a long haul for Dr Mbangi because he had to travel for nine hours from Malmo to the Nordic Africa Institute in Upsalla where the workshop was held.
MarComms team, Mbali Mkhize and Zama Sishi, made an invaluable contribution presenting at a workshop which focused on sustainability of education and international student mobility. Together with partners from CPUT and Kalstad University, the workshop explored solutions that would safeguard students and staff mobility against complexities brought by pandemics and future crisis.
Kavita Behara, Senior Lecturer, Electrical Engineering, together with Dr Thobeka Makhathini, Senior Lecturer, Chemical Engineering department, and Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, collaborated with Durban University of Technology, Lund University, and Uppsala University on a workshop titled: The impact of electronic waste on the environment and human health: emerging challenges and policy solutions. The workshop was an eye-opener for the attendees who were oblivious to the potential destruction caused by dumping of old and unused everyday gadgets and home electronic equipment to the environment, water, and human health.
The participation of the multidisciplinary team from MUT has opened up several future collaborations with researchers in Sweden and in South Africa. “MUT’s SASUF affiliation has brought a lot of equity to MUT and is set to catapult the University’s internationalisation agenda quicker than expected,” said Mbali Mkhize, MUT SASUF Coordinator.