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23 September 2015

Building Relationships at UMP

On September 2, 2015 a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) was signed between the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). This event took place the University of Mpumalanga’s Mbombela Campus.

The MoU is to forge a strategic partnership between the two institutions in order to promote collaboration and cooperation in teaching and learning, research, community engagement and facilities. This collaboration presents an opportunities to mutually benefit both institutions.

A Steering Committee was established which comprises of eight members, four from each institution. The first meeting was held before the signing of the MoA.

Prior the event, there was a sitting of the Steering Committee to engage and explore means of collaboration as highlighted on the MoA.

Vice-Chancellor of UMP, Prof Thoko Mayekiso expressed what a great opportunity this was.“Being such a young University means we have no history and that we are in the position to start afresh and create our own future. We were also privilege to learn from other well established institution and took the best practice from others”.

TUT’s Prof Lourens van Staden expressed the following sentiments,“it is a well-known fact that the need for higher education far exceeds the availability and young people often have to leave their home town to go study. This often leaves a void in the local economy and job market , since these young people tend not to return there to work”.

He said by combining resources and skills from both institutions, Mpumalanga province can become a gateway for youth to enrol for studies and address the specific needs of the environment.