Back row: Prof Yue Guoning, Professor, School of Management Engineering, Mr Liu Rugu, Director: International Cooperation and Exchange Department, Prof Gao Zhan, Dean: School of Business, Dr Valindawo Dwayi, Senior Director: Centre for Global Engagement, Ms Anri Wheeler, Institutional Researcher and Prof. Mzikayise Binza, Director: Academic Enterprise and Services.

Seated front row is Prof Li Liying, President, Henan University of Engineering and Prof. Muthoni Masinde, Dean: Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology.

The Central University of Technology (CUT), through the Centre for Global Engagement (CGE), hosted a delegation from Henan University of Engineering, led by the institution’s President, Prof. Li Liying. The visit culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the partnership between the two universities and further advance CUT’s efforts to expand its global footprint.

In his welcome address, Dr Valindawo Dwayi, Senior Director of the Centre for Global Engagement, noted that the visit reaffirms the long-standing and growing educational ties between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China, particularly in the areas of higher education, research, and innovation. He highlighted CUT’s active and strategic collaborations with several leading Chinese universities, which support bilateral agreements between the two countries while enhancing CUT’s mandate to promote global academic cooperation and research excellence.

Dr Dwayi outlined key collaborations that continue to shape CUT’s engagement with Chinese and Asian institutions. These include the partnership with Hainan University through the League of Tropical Universities (LTU); collaboration with Hohai University via the BRICS Network University; a long-standing relationship with Zhejiang Normal University (ZNU); and CUT’s participation in the China–Africa Science and Technology Cooperation Framework. He added that the new partnership with Henan University of Engineering presents exciting prospects for future collaboration.

“CUT looks forward to exploring areas of synergy that align with our strengths, particularly in engineering, applied sciences, innovation, and technology-driven research,” he said. “We are confident that this collaboration will create new avenues for joint research, academic exchange, student and staff mobility, and capacity-building initiatives that will benefit both institutions.”

Representing Henan University of Engineering, Mr Liu Rugu, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department, expressed that their visit aims to establish a meaningful relationship with CUT, with hopes of facilitating student exchanges and future academic cooperation, including staff mobility and joint teaching opportunities.

CUT remains committed to deepening its relationships with Chinese universities through sustainable, impactful, and mutually beneficial partnerships. The institution remains inspired by past achievements and optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead, particularly through this promising new collaboration with Henan University of Engineering.

CUT and Henan University of Engineering representatives

Uploaded: 08 December 2025