TUT hosts South African-German Graduate School to advance critical engineering skills

The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) is hosting a major three-year partnership between South Africa and Germany that aims to strengthen critical engineering skills through jointly accredited graduate programmes, international collaboration and professional training.

The South African German Graduate School (SAGGS) is a capacity-building initiative of the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA), of which TUT is a member, and the German University Consortium for International Cooperation (DHIK). The programme receives funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

SAGGS aims to strengthen engineering education capacity at partner South African universities of technology through jointly developed, practice-oriented programmes offered at Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) and Master of Engineering (Professional) levels.

The programme will help develop a shared talent pool of highly skilled engineering professionals. Graduates will be able to pursue professional registration both in South Africa and Europe through accreditation by the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (EUR-ACE) and the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

In addition to supporting engineering skills development, the initiative seeks to strengthen the internationalisation of German universities on the African continent, building on DHIK partnership models already established in China, India and Mexico.

Prof Barend van Wyk, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching, Learning and Technology at TUT and South African SAGGS Director, said the partnership will deliver meaningful opportunities for students, academics and industry.

Over the next three years, the programme will focus on curriculum development and refinement, student mobility between South Africa and Germany, research and teaching visits, joint journal and conference publications, and the establishment of an active student and alumni network.

“The goal of the SAGGS is to deliver long-term value for students, universities and industry, and to create a shared talent pool with dual recognition in both South Africa and internationally,” said Prof van Wyk.

By combining expertise from South African and German institutions, SAGGS is expected to contribute significantly to the development of engineering knowledge, professional skills and internationally recognised qualifications, while strengthening cooperation between the two countries in science, technology and innovation.

TUT hosting South African-German Graduate School to advance critical engineering knowledge and skills 

The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) is hosting an impactful, three-year partnership programme between Germany and South Africa to build critical engineering skills through jointly accredited graduate courses and training. 

The South African German Graduate School (SAGGS) is a capacity-building programme of the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA), of which TUT is a member, and the German University Consortium for International Cooperation (DHIK), funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

The Graduate School is designed to build capacity at partner South African universities of technology through jointly developed, practice-oriented engineering programmes at the PGDip and Meng (Professional) levels.

It aims to create a shared talent pool, with graduates qualifying to register as professional engineers both in South Africa and Europe through accreditation from the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (EUR-ACE) and the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). It also seeks to strengthen internationalisation of German universities on the African continent, building on existing DHIK models in China, India and Mexico.

TUT’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Technology, Prof Barend van Wyk, who is also the South-African SAGGS Director, said a number of activities are planned over the three-year period, including curriculum development and refinement, promoting student mobility between the two countries, research and teaching visits to Germany, joint publications of journal articles and conference papers, and establishing an active student and alumni network.

“The goal of the SAGGS is to deliver long-term value for students, universities, and industry, and to create a shared talent pool with dual recognition in both South Africa and internationally,” he said.