Advancing Global Partnerships as UNIVEN Faculties Meet Chinese Academy of Sciences

In a move to strengthen international academic collaboration, the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture (FSEA) at the University of Venda (UNIVEN) welcomed a high-level delegation from the Chinese Academy of Sciences on 28 July 2025. The strategic meeting, held in the Life Sciences Building’s ground-floor boardroom, brought together key UNIVEN stakeholders, including FSEA Executive Dean, Prof Natasha Potgieter, Deputy Deans, and faculty officials, alongside Prof Modimowabarwa Kanyane, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law (FMCL), and representatives from the Directorate of International Relations and Partnerships.

Prof Natasha Potgieter warmly welcomed the Chinese delegation and other participants. She spoke about the role of the UNIVEN Transversal Committee and expressed interest in learning about ongoing projects in the faculty. Prof Potgieter emphasised the potential for future collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, particularly in joint programmes, research partnerships, and student supervision. The Acting Director of International Relations and Partnerships, Mr Thabo Dikgale facilitated introductions between the UNIVEN and Chinese delegations to foster familiarity among participants. The programme was led by Prof Lutendo Murulana, FSEA Deputy Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies, who facilitated the meeting. He acknowledged the presence of faculty leadership, the visiting delegation, and international relations representatives.
The Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law (FMCL), Prof BarwaKanyane presented the Tshakhuma Smart Village Project, located in wards 28 and 29 of the Levubu area in Makhado Local Municipality. He highlighted the project’s focus on technology, innovation, community involvement, and research. The smart village encourages local rural communities to find practical solutions to challenges and pursue new opportunities through a bottom-up approach, placing the community at the center of development.
Prof Kanyane noted the project’s benefits in addressing social issues and contributing to Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr Faiar Dondofema from the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences provided an overview of a project on monitoring and correcting spatial errors in transportation using the BeiDou satellite navigation system. The project team responded to the 2025 NRF South Africa–China Joint Research Programme for funding, and the project involves collaboration with Chinese institutions. Dr Dondofema outlined the project’s goals, expected outcomes, and research impact.
Prof James Chakwizira from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning described a related project on agricultural monitoring and unmanned farms supported by the BeiDou and Gaofen satellite systems. His team has applied for funding under the same joint research programme and collaborates with Chinese partners. Prof Chakwizira discussed the expertise contributed by both Chinese and UNIVEN researchers, as well as the project’s expected outcomes, timeline, budget, and potential impact.

Representatives from the Chinese Academy of Sciences also presented their work. Prof Li Zishen, Executive Vice President of the Qi Lu Institute of Aerospace Information and researcher at the Institute of Aerospace Information Research (AIR), explained that AIR was established in 2018 through the merger of three institutes and focuses on aerospace information science and technology to support sustainable economic and social development.

He described AIR’s development of aerostatic aircraft such as aerostats, tethered balloons, and airships, and noted the institute publishes several international scientific journals. Dr Zhu Jinbiao, Senior Engineer and Deputy Director at AIR, presented on the Airborne Remote Sensing Centre, while Dr Liu Zhenyao, an engineer at AIR, discussed the BeiDou High-Precision Positioning Service System for self-driving agricultural machinery.

During discussions on collaboration, several potential areas were identified, including student ex-change programmes, joint research projects, co-authorship of academic papers, and improved ac-cess to high-resolution data. The meeting concluded with a handover of gifts, where Prof Potgieter and Mr Dikgale presented tokens of appreciation to the Chinese delegation, who reciprocated with a model of the BeiDou Satellite.

The FSEA Deputy Dean of Teaching and Learning, Dr Odeshnee Naicker, delivered the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all participants for their contributions and engagement. She acknowledged the efforts of Prof Potgieter and her team in organising the meeting and praised the presenters for enriching the discussions. Dr Naicker emphasised that the active participation of all attendees made the meeting a productive and collaborative event.

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