The signing ceremony co-hosted by the two universities, aims to advance the Faculty of Health Sciences at UL, in which master’s and doctoral students will visit and study in Taiwan annually to exchange knowledge and collaborate on research at TMU.
The purpose of the MoU is to increase the competitiveness of the awardees’ career development and to expand opportunities for future collaboration between Taiwan and South Africa. It also intends to establish co-funded awards for faculty members to pursue master’s and PhD degrees at TMU, with the award lasting one academic year and renewable for an additional twelve months at the discretion of the TMU selection committee.
On the one hand, TMU will contribute to the awards by providing monthly stipends for the first academic year of the awardee’s study at the TMU campus, as well as a full tuition waiver for the first year. UL, on the other hand, funds two roundtrip airfares per academic year for each awardee while studying at TMU.
Dr Thembinkosi Mabila, Director of the Department of Research Administration and Development added that the Research Office will also contribute an additional return flight ticket for each of the students that are to visit and present their work in seminars to be arranged in cooperation with the office of the Executive Dean of the faculty.
Prof Mahlo Mokgalong, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at UL, stated that the agreement achieves the university’s strategic intent of internationalisation while also advancing one of the institution’s core functions of research. “Today, we are cementing one significant relationship, and I am impressed that even our government is on board. Our medical school is still in its early stages, with only our first cohort of graduates having graduated this year,” Prof Mokgalong said. He believes that UL would gain a lot from the collaboration and be able to broaden its horizons.
Chung-Yi Ho, an ambassador of Taiwan based in Pretoria, South Africa was invited at UL to witness the signing. He stated that the signing ceremony of the MoU marks a watershed moment between Taiwan-South Africa cooperation and higher education exchange. Ho praised the University of Limpopo for producing world-class leaders such as South Africa’s President, Hon Cyril Ramaphosa, and Malawi’s President, Hon Lazarus Chakwera, among others.
“The signing of this MoU will thus open a new chapter in our two countries’ cooperation and excellence, as well as connect the two universities to work together to change the world and make it a better place to live,” said Ho.
Dr Ahmed Bham, Head of Disaster Medicine at the National Department of Health, emphasised the importance of the MoU, saying it will greatly contribute to the strengthening of the health care profession.