NMU sustainability research unit hosts French visitors

Video

GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - The sustainability research unit (SRU) at Nelson Mandela University George Campus (NMU) hosted a French delegation on Thursday 16 September for conversation about strengthening the French universities-Mandela relationship.

The event forms part of NMU's efforts to explore the role that international programmes can play in achieving the university's vision of being a sustainability research role player.

Prof Hervé Fritz, head of the Internatio-nal Research Laboratory Rehabs, who is based at the George campus, said there is already an agreement between the NMU, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and University of Lyon.

"Discussions during the visit centered around the possibility of deploying further agreements with some French institutions, in the natural resource area, conservation and sustainability, and the ocean area."

Campus principal Dr Kaluke Mawila said the campus is repositioning itself as a sustainable future campus and has started to think of ways to explore projects that could be done between South Africa and key partners in various countries. "This will enable the curriculum redesign, envisaging of future projects for research in the area of natural sciences and resource management, as well as in those areas where we are known to be very strong - forestry and agriculture."

Watch a video below:

Prof Josua Louw, head of NMU's Natural Resource Science and Management department, presented delegates with information on a soon-to-be-launched B Sc honours degree in natural resource management at the campus, and Dr Thandi Mgwebi focused on how the NMU has been advancing sustainability science.

Moncef Meddeb, science and technology attaché of the Embassy of France to South Africa, and Dr Jean-Pascal Torréton, head of IRD-CNRS-Cirad joint office in Pretoria, were among the delegates. CNRS, IRD (National Research Institute for Sustainable Development) and Cirad (Agricultural Research Centre for International Development) are French public research organisations that do research in various scientific fields on global development issues.

They work together with their Southern African partners.

Moncef Meddeb (Science and Technology attaché of the Embassy of France to South Africa); Prof Josua Louw (head of NMU Natural Resource Science and Management department); Dr Thandi Mgwebi (NMU deputy vice-chancellor for Research, Innovation and Internationalisation); Prof Hervé Fritz (head of International Research Laboratory Rehabs); Dr Kaluke Mawila (NMU George Campus principal); and Dr Jean-Pascal Torréton (head of IRD-CNRS-CIRAD joint office in South Africa).