Midlands Universities host South African delegation

Universities around the Midlands welcomed a delegation from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), the largest contact university in South Africa.

The 4-day intensive programme, organised by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), included visits to Coventry, Wolverhampton, Aston and Birmingham universities. The visit comprised guided tours, meetings and presentation exchange with some of our region’s leading academics on subjects ranging from Cyber and AI to Engineering and Physical Science. 

The Midlands plays an important role in the International Education space. The region was specifically chosen due to its impressive international education offering and its universities’ strong track record of collaborating regionally, nationally and globally, on topics including Research, Innovation, Tailored Skills Provision and Training.  

Through this engagement programme TUT were able to explore best possible ways to partner with the different universities and research institutions on specific areas such as benchmarking, research and innovation. Their objective is to develop the global framework, the Institute of Future Work, through which the university seek to close the gap between the industry and academia. They believe that through the partnership with the industry they will be able to better understand their needs and be able to strategically align. 

In the short term the programme has provided TUT with the opportunity to engage with Midlands Universities with whom they haven’t engaged before.  In the longer term outcome it is anticipated that Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreements will be put in place for research and student exchange programmes resulting in commercial wins. 

Yusuff Kaffo, Associate Director International Recruitment (Global Opportunities) at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “The Global Opportunities Office at the University of Wolverhampton was privileged to host a delegation from the Tshwane University of Technology. We hope the ongoing discussion will bring new perspectives, insights and innovations that will positively impact our communities and this marks a significant step towards fostering international collaboration and global knowledge exchange between our two organisations.” 

Tseliso Mohlomi, Senior Director for the Institute for the Future of Work, TUT said: “The visit to the universities in the Midlands was quite an eye-opener, especially on how academia and industry work together to tackle the challenges presented by the 4th Industrial Revolution. Through the different engagements, we are hoping to solidify collaboration in high-impact research, staff and student exchange programs and leveraging the different industry partnerships to support TUT’s vision of producing future ready graduates.” 

Liz Roberts, DBT, International Trade Adviser, West Midlands said: “It has been a pleasure to welcome and host the delegation from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) to the West Midlands, showcasing what our universities have to offer to international markets.” 

ENDS 

For further information contact:  

Conal Doherty 

Education Sector Specialist for the Midlands Region 

conal.doherty@trade.gov.uk 

NOTES TO EDITORS 

Midlands Universities 

An internationally recognised academic community, world class research institutions, and boundless talent, Midlands Universities accelerate discovery, innovation and technological development. This unique collaboration makes it easy for your business to grow and prosper in the UK or internationally. We work directly with foreign investors and international organisations both public & private, with a shared ambition to drive productivity and growth in the Midlands through research, skills, innovation and enterprise. 

TUT 

Established in 2004, the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) is the largest contact university in South Africa, a preeminent university of technology (UoT) in Africa and rated among the top thirteen universities in South Africa by the Centre for World University Ratings (CWUR). Known as the people’s university, TUT provides quality education to more than 60 000 students annually, most of whom come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. 

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT)  

From our offices overseas and in the UK, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) helps UK-based businesses export and grow in overseas markets and also helps overseas companies locate and grow in the UK. We provide our services in over 100 markets worldwide. https://www.great.gov.uk/