The University of Pretoria (UP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China’s Liaoning Technical University (LNTU). This comes after bilateral institutional agreements existing between the universities for nearly 20 years.

Professor Anton Ströh, Vice-Principal (Institutional Planning), signed the agreement on behalf of Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe and UP. Prof Ströh said the MoU was important for UP because it would “allow the two institutions to further develop and expand on the fruitful collaborations over many years”.

“The expansion of academic exchange programmes of personnel will lead to joint research results and publications in top international journals. The supervision of quality graduate students from China will enhance both universities’ internationalisation strategies and increase our possibilities of joint funding application between SA and China,” he said.

The delegation from LNTU was led by the University’s President, Professor Xing Baojun, who said LNTU was celebrating its 70^th anniversary this year and pointed out that it was one of the largest institutions of higher learning in the region. It is also one of China’s 88 most important universities with a large student cohort and 18 faculties and schools. LNTU is renowned for its engineering programmes, particularly at master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral levels. Its primary focus is on innovative methods in scientific research, practical-based learning, and active participation in social service. The University’s research in mining engineering, mechanics, surveying and mapping science and technology has made it one of Fuxin region’s highly ranked universities.

Its key research areas include mine disaster management, safety technology and engineering, surveying and mapping science and technology, management science and engineering, machinery manufacturing, rock burst prediction and prevention, combustion fire prevention, coal mine gas prevention theory and technology, safety structure analysis and prediction.

Professor Sunil Maharaj, UP’s Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and IT (EBIT) and Professor Xia Xiaohua (Director of the UP Centre of New Energy Systems) have had ongoing collaborations with researchers from LNTU. In 2017, Prof Maharaj visited LNTU to deliver a talk, while EBIT has hosted the President of LNTU during a visit to UP and Several PhD students from LNTU graduated at UP over a period of collaboration.

There have been several co-authored publications between UP and LNTU over the last six years in the disciplines of engineering, computer science, mathematics, business management, decision science, physics and astronomy.