CONCURRENT CHINA AND GERMANY PARTNERSHIPS ADVANCE STRATEGIC INTERNATIONALISATION

In a defining second for world larger schooling diplomacy, the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS) is orchestrating a outstanding convergence of worldwide scientific partnerships. Faculty of Applied Sciences is celebrating 20 years of transformative collaboration with China whereas concurrently launching strategic tutorial ties with Germany. This twin engagement represents a complicated mannequin of Twenty first-century information diplomacy and straight advances DUT’s ENVISION2030 commitments to world competitiveness and analysis excellence.

Germany Partnership Concludes: Architecting the Future of Food Science  Education

From 24 to 30 September 2025, the Executive Dean of Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS), Professor Suren Singh  and the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science led by Professor Feroz Swalaha (HOD), Professor John Mellem and Prof Eric Amonsou, efficiently hosted a high-level delegation from Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Germany, led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Mamadou Diakité, Dean of the Department of Food Technology, and Dr. Carola Ossenkopp-Wetzig, Overseas Exchange Coordinator . This go to represents a major new milestone in DUT’s internationalisation technique aligned to the DHIK/THENSA initiatives which began in 2024, with the Food Science arm led by Professor Suren Singh.

Over six intensive days, the groups visited analysis labs, evaluated curricula, and created sensible frameworks for a joint Food Science Degree programme, enabling an change of three college students from Fulda University and three from DUT over the three-year undergraduate interval. The collaboration additionally contains employees exchanges, joint analysis initiatives, and co-supervision of postgraduate college students, which might be totally funded by DAAD, a DUT first by way of undergraduate choices. These efforts have additionally produced actionable plans to advance Food Science schooling and analysis collaboration between South Africa and Germany, aligning with DUT’s ENVISION 2030 objectives for world competitiveness.

China Partnership Commences: Almost Twenty Years of Excellence, Sustained Innovation

Commencing on 30 September 2025 and working till 05 October 2025, the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science is internet hosting the distinguished South Africa–China  Joint Research Programme Meeting 2025, commemorating twenty years of pioneering work in superior sugarcane biorefinery analysis. Funded by South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), this enduring partnership in its Third cycle of Funding has yielded over 40 peer-reviewed publications, facilitated vital know-how switch, and established strong postgraduate coaching and employees change programmes since 2007, making it probably the most profitable analysis collaborations ever between these 2 nations.

The present collaborative focus, “New Generation of Biorefinery Engineering for Sugarcane Industry Development,” is pioneering breakthrough applied sciences in complete grain processing, sustainable enzyme growth, and biodegradable bio-composites. These improvements are crucial to addressing world challenges in renewable vitality, meals safety, and sustainable manufacturing.

The distinguished Chinese delegation is led by Professor Zhengxiang Wang, Research Team Leader at Tianjin University of Science and Technology (TUST), who delivered a keynote deal with on technological improvements for sugar-biomanufacturing. Joining him are Professors Wenjing Huang and Liwei Zhang (Wuhan Polytechnic University) and PhD candidates Mr. Meng Wang and Mr. Ziyang Zhang (TUST) who will spend 2.5 months at DUT as a part of their PhD research linked to the challenge.

Strategic Imperative and Multi-Lateral Convergence

Professor Suren Singh, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, articulated the strategic imaginative and prescient driving these engagements: “What we are witnessing is the maturation of Faculty of Applied Sciences as a globally competitive research faculty capable of sustaining long-term partnerships while simultaneously cultivating new strategic relationships. These are carefully architected collaborations designed to create sustained value through research innovation, educational transformation, and meaningful knowledge transfer. This directly operationalises our ENVISION2030 goals and positions DUT as a critical node in global research networks.”

In a robust demonstration of Faculty of Applied Science’s capability for stylish engagement, the programme featured a joint lunch on 30 September 2025, bringing collectively the Chinese and German delegations on their respective handover day. This convergence showcased the multi-lateral dimension of Faculty of Applied Science’s worldwide technique, fostering dialogue on shared analysis pursuits in biotechnology and sustainable innovation throughout three continents.

The DUT workforce included Professor Feroz Swalaha (Head of Biotechnology and Food Science), Professor Sandhosh KK Pillai, and Professor Kugen Permaul (Team Leader, Enzyme Technology Research Group), with strategic coordination by Dr. Lavern Samuels (Director: International Education and Partnerships).

Looking Forward: Sustained Impact, Expanding Networks

These milestone engagements place the Faculty of Applied Sciences as a strategic asset in South Africa’s larger schooling internationalisation agenda. They exemplify how universities of know-how can leverage world partnerships to drive analysis innovation, instructional excellence, and socio-economic influence.

The convergence of established (China) and rising (Germany) partnerships creates a multiplier impact, the place multi-lateral engagement opens potentialities for triangular analysis initiatives that profit college students, researchers, industries, and communities throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe. Faculty of Applied Sciences appears ahead to the impactful outcomes of those enduring relationships as they proceed to form the way forward for biotechnology analysis and schooling on the worldwide stage.

Pictured: Faculty of Applied Sciences performs host to Chinese delegates, launching strategic tutorial ties.

Photographer : Nompumelelo Mpungose

Silindile Buthelezi