The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Student Representative Council (SRC) accompanied by the DUT Student Governance and Development Unit recently visited the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST).

The aim of the visit was for the DUT SRC to get an opportunity to engage and share ideas with the NUST SRC as well as to participate in the Future Leaders Conference which was due to take place but was postponed. The conference was to be held to tackle issues that students face during their time of study and to get solutions for the issues addressed in the conference.

Although the conference was postponed, the DUT SRC were still able to come back with a lot of insight. The NUST staff were kind enough to share their operating practices which were not foreign to the DUT SRC and most importantly they had an insight into NUST staffing structure.

“In line with ENVISION2030, the Student Governance and Development Unit positions students at the centre of finding sustainable solutions to their challenges and those of their society, by creating platforms for critical dialogues and engagements where students can demonstrate the DUT graduate attribute,” said the Student Development Officer, Andile Masuku.

The SRC was able to share some valuable insight into how they were elected, structured and how they operate within the University’s governance structures. They were also able to engage on programmes and their funding formula.

The Vice-Chancellor of NUST, Dr Erold Naomab, met with the delegation. He shed light on the relations between the two universities and how the two universities share a similar vision in the innovation and technological space.

Amongst the DUT SRC sightseeing journey was a visit to the Namibian House of Parliament. The speaker of Parliament took time to address the delegation and shared invaluable information on the longstanding comradery between Namibia and South Africa.

Pictured: DUT SRC with NUST SRC members.

Sibahle Ngcobo