A significant memo of understanding (MoU) between the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass) and Unisa was signed on 2 April 2019 by Professor Bhekie Mamba, Executive Dean of the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (CSET) and John McCarthy, Provost and Senior Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UMass.
Mamba makes it his priority to position CSET as a world-class college. “We would like to have strategic collaborations with other universities in the world—top-class universities that will actually challenge us and stimulate our research agenda,” he said.
The MoU will establish a framework for future research, faculty, and student exchanges between UMass and Unisa, the largest university system in Africa. The MoU and the relationship between the two university systems has been nurtured by UMass’s David Reckhow, professor of civil and environmental engineering, who spent a 2011 sabbatical in South Africa with Mamba and his colleagues, and supported by John Tobiason, also a professor in civil and environmental engineering. Both Reckhow and Tobiason have visited South Africa many times to research water-related issues.
Reckhow said one of Unisa’s research interests is water resources, especially in the face of the severe drought conditions the country has experienced in recent years. “We want to partner with Unisa so we can participate in helping them tackle a global problem,” he said.
“Africa is an area where there is a lot of focus on not only resource-based needs, but social issues as well,” Reckhow concluded. “It is exciting to have this new agreement to provide multi-disciplinary opportunities for our faculty and students to work in partnership with a leading African university on global issues.”
Mamba gave a public presentation, titled Unisa and UMass collaborating in shaping the future of humanity in science, engineering, and technology, at UMass. He and two of his colleagues spent the week on campus learning more about the university and meeting with faculty and students.
*Submitted by Thembeka Ntuli-Mpapama
Communication and Marketing Specialist
College of Science, Engineering, and Technology
Publish date: 2019-04-26 00:00:00.0