On, Wednesday, 28 September 2022, the NWU chancellor Dr Anna Mokgokong and NWU principal and vice- chancellor, Dr Bismark Tyobeka, met with the French ambassador.
The delegation was led by Mr Aurelien Lechevallier, French ambassador and Ms Nelly Hazelbrouck, general secretary for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs at the French Embassy.
The meeting served as a platform to discuss possible collaborations between the NWU and French Universities.
In his address, the French ambassador highlighted that France is keen to support these collaborations, especially regarding thematic areas and issues of climate change and energy.
He also said they support the NWU’s ambitions for a School of Mines and Mining Engineering and said that he regrets that the NWU was not able to attend the seven-day visit of the vice-chancellors of South African universities that was hosted by the French government in June.
He mentioned that the embassy will be arranging a special visit to the NWU whereafter, a delegation from the NWU will be visiting France.
In his inaugural address, Dr Tyobeka said the NWU cannot ignore issues such as climate change and sustainability, and added that he is aware that there are climate change deniers across the globe.
He also mentioned that the NWU will strengthen its relationships and partnership s with industry role-players nationally and internationally to maximise employment, partnerships and business opportunities for our students and graduates, and that this collaboration will fulfil the vision that he has for the NWU.
“I am confident that the North-West University is poised to achieve even more and continue to play a key role towards finding solutions for societal problems.
“Therefore, we shall strengthen our resolve to be an internationally recognised university in Africa, distinguished for engaged scholarship, academic excellence, and an ethic of care.
This is the reason for consolidating our successes and positioning ourselves to explore new frontiers and opportunities – nationally and internationally.”
Mr Aurelien Lechevallier, Dr Anna Anna Mokgokong, Dr Bismark Tyobeka and Ms Nelly Hazelbrouck.
