CUT’s Centre for Global Engagement (CGE) through its Internationalisation and Partnerships (IAP) initiative held an annual International Partner Week that focused on advancing Internationalisation through academic partnerships.

The event serves as a platform to foster collaborative initiatives aimed at enriching research, teaching, learning, and cultivating an Internationalisation-at-home culture at CUT.

With a history of internationalisation spanning two decades, coinciding with the university’s 20th anniversary, Partner Week embodies both the institution's vision and a retrospective analysis of past endeavours, while also charting a course for future initiatives.

This year’s theme, "An Internationalised 21st Century Scholar: International Partnerships as the Enabling Mechanism," aims to explore innovative partnership opportunities through research, academic initiatives, and student-driven programs leveraging international networks by means of contemporary education approach.

The week-long engagements kicked-off at Welkom Campus, with presentations, parallel discussion session and interactive dialogue between international stakeholders and academic partners, government and the industry.

In her welcoming address, Prof. Pamela Dube, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, said the International Partner Week is a pivotal moment for CUT to build on the legacy of innovation and excellence in applied sciences. “Internationalisation has been a cornerstone of our development over the past two decades, aligning with our vision to be a globally engaged institution. Through this initiative, we foster collaborations that propel us into new frontiers of research, teaching, and STEM education — a critical focus for our university in support of the STEM field as the national priority. Our partnership with national, provincial and local government and business spheres demonstrates that charity begins at home to forge regional collaborations. With this international partnership initiative, we are committed to creating cross-border partnerships that will benefit our universities and contribute to its status as an active participant on a global scale. Your involvement and support have been instrumental in our journey, and we look forward to further strengthening this relationship,” she said.

The week continued at Bloemfontein Campus with other participating international universities and role players including industry partners such Transnet, Eskom, Botshabelo Digital Hub, Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), and CUT’s centres of excellence.