HSZG deepens relations with South Africa

Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and North-West University in South Africa have agreed on further steps toward cooperation based on the cooperation agreement that has been in place since 2013.

During his recent visit to North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus, the Rector, Prof. Friedrich Albrecht, signed a work plan for student exchange. Next year, the first students from the South African university are expected to arrive at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “We are very pleased about this,” said Dean Prof. Klaus-Dieter Haim, who accompanied the Rector on this trip.

He continued: “This will further strengthen the ties that have existed since 2004. Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences has already welcomed doctoral candidates from the South African university for a study visit at the Institute for Process Engineering, Process Automation, and Measurement Technology (IPM). Students and doctoral candidates from our University have also spent study periods there. With the student exchange program now getting underway, the agreement in place since 2013 will be further enhanced.”

“We are collaborating with the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences,” said Chancellor Prof. Dan Kgwadi, “because, on the one hand, we benefit greatly from their expertise in magnetic bearing technology, the University is a reliable partner, and we would like to expand our cooperative relationships to other areas as well. “We are particularly interested in collaboration in the field of Mechanical Engineering,”

Rector Prof. Albrecht supports this initiative. He used his visit to South Africa to personally assess the university’s capabilities and facilities and to engage in discussions with the vice chancellor and deans, as well as with faculty and students. He emphasized that the signing of the work plan between Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and North-West University strengthens the already close and long-standing ties in teaching and research.

“We were warmly welcomed at the university and had the opportunity to tour the faculties on the truly impressive campus,” said Rector Albrecht.

The foundation for the collaboration between the two higher education institutions is the intensive research partnership—which has been in place for twelve years—in the field of magnetic bearing technology between Prof. Frank Worlitz and Prof. George van Schoor. During his time with Prof. Worlitz, the latter had asked him whether he could envision collaborating with him in the field of magnetic bearing technology. Since then, numerous projects have been initiated, and an intensive research exchange has developed.

This was followed by regular visits by Prof. Worlitz to exchange experiences and teach. Subsequently, the first South African doctoral candidates also came to the IPM to conduct experiments in Zittau as part of their research. Master’s students in the mechatronics degree programme at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences have also completed stays at North-West University and finished their theses there.

The main campus of North-West University in South Africa is located in Potchefstroom. This city lies approximately 130 km west of Johannesburg and is a center for education and culture in the northwestern part of South Africa.