On November 2nd (2020), NPUST was pleased to receive a joint visit from the Liaison Office of South Africa (LOSA) and the Taiwan-Africa Business Association (TABA).
Travelling from Taipei with the goal of developing a better understanding of the university system in Taiwan, Representative Mr. Seraki Matsebe and Deputy-Representative Mrs. Sibongile Mbasa (LOSA) together with Chairman Jeff Sun and Deputy Secretary-General Wen-Tsai Chung (TABA) were welcomed for a meeting with NPUST President Chang-Hsien Tai, International College dean, J.C. Leong, and Agriculture College dean, Henry Chen.
In the meeting they explored such topics as enrollment for foreign students, special projects, scholarships, and opportunities for cooperation.
TABA representatives pointed out that there is incredible opportunity for economic and trade development in South Africa. Rich in minerals and petroleum, currently they are looking to develop high-end industries and there is also a need to greatly improve agricultural technology. NPUST, known for its expertise in agriculture-related R&D, could make considerable contributions by cultivating students and training technical professionals from South Africa –this would also help to strengthen the friendship between the two countries and expand economic and trade activity.
Chang-Hsien Tai explained that with a 96-year history in agriculture, NPUST is currently working to develop autonomous smart vehicles, sensors and big data applications to substitute manpower – the goal is to be able to solve some of the pressing issues that the world faces, such climate change, manpower shortages and food crises.
South Africa has many wildlife conservation ares with rich biodiversity, including the Kruger National Park, which is the county’s largest. For NPUST, which has been engaged in wildlife conservation research for many years, this provides another potential avenue of exchange—and could perhaps result in some outstanding achievements in cross-continent conservation research.
Representative Matsebe emphasized that local water shortages and soil degradation in production areas are problems that South Africa must ungently deal with. NPUST is internationally renowned for its expertise in food science, and could potentially be of assistance in these areas.
With many interesting avenues to explore, the first step would be to organize visits, teacher-student exchanges, and other items of cooperation which could lead towards an MOU-based offerings of special classes or course models. Based on the talks, the representatives will recommend that South Africa pursue cooperation with NPUST’s colleges and research institutions, and hopes are that the relationship will develop into an exemplary model for multinational talent cultivation.