Page 24 - DUT 2025 Engagement Report Q2

International collaborations with universities abroad continue to expand research and academic engagement across departments. Numerous industry engagements also provided students with essential upskilling opportunities and exposure to real-world challenges. The Department of Town and Regional Planning sustained its contributions through ongoing engagements with leading organisations and stakeholders, advancing the field of urban and regional planning in KwaZulu-Natal and beyond.
DUT also formalised Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with five international universities: Ibn Tofail University (Morocco), Universidad Tecnológica Empresarial de Guayaquil (Ecuador), Karadeniz Technical University (Turkey), Gedik University (Turkey), and Gebze Teknik Universitesi (Turkey). These MOUs lay the foundation for dynamic academic and research cooperation, including joint research projects, staff and student mobility programmes, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), research seminars, and the internationalisation of programme advisory boards.
DUT’s active participation in the Times Higher Education 2025 Global Sustainable Development Congress in Istanbul further amplified its internationalisation agenda. The congress provided a
strategic platform for benchmarking against global best practices and aligning with Africa’s Agenda 2063. Engagements with 42 additional institutions across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas expanded DUT’s global network and are expected to lead to further MOUs, benchmarking, and collaborative curriculum design.
DUT’s leadership in integrating sustainability into academic curricula and research partnerships was reaffirmed, positioning the institution as a key player in sustainable development and innovation. The university also strengthened intra-African collaboration through deepened ties with the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) and its continued promotion of the African Partnership Universities Alliance (APUA), supporting Africa-centred internationalisation and research networks.
The groundwork laid during this quarter is expected to yield substantial academic, financial, and reputational benefits, reinforcing DUT’s strategic goals of global engagement, research excellence, and sustainability leadership. These milestones reflect the university’s continued progress and commitment to its ENVISION2030 strategy.
Launch of the DUT AI Smart Lab
22DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY