On the picture H.E. Vusi Bruce Koloane, Ambassador of South Africa together with Dutch and South African students at the Embassy.
By Roy Lie A Tjam.
To mark the beginning of a new era of Netherlands-South African cooperation, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Johannesburg has invited teams of Dutch and South African students to work together on finding solutions to Johannesburg’s water, energy, health, agriculture and transport challenges.
This has resulted in collaboration between the embassy, companies and education centers, students from the University of Johannesburg, Wits Business School, TU Delft and VU University Amsterdam.
The multidisciplinary teams presented their projects to an audience including Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, the Mayor of Johannesburg, Mpho Parks Tau, and a delegation of 75 companies during a Dutch economic trade mission to Johannesburg in November 2015.
Subsequent to that promising event in November 2015, under the direction of H.E. Vusi Bruce Koloane, Ambassador of South Africa, a group of Dutch and South African students met at the Embassy of South Africa in The Hague. The objective was to take the COCREATEMYCITY project a step closer to implementation.
The meeting was highly productive. Ms. Ellen van Andel of TU Delft, held an expose in which she elaborated on the current status of the initiative as well as its short and long term aspirations. Ambassador Koloane furnished the students with useful advice and encouragement.
The participating visiting students were Naweed Khan (University of Johannesburg): Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Refilwe Lediga (University of Johannesburg): Masters in Civil Engineering, Xolani Sikhakhane (University of the Witwatersrand): Masters in Entrepreneurship, Ezekiel Nyoni (University of Johannesburg): Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering, and Mpho Sefalafala (University of Witwatersrand): PhD candidate for Entrepreneurship.
The students from TU Delft were Tessa Leferink and Door van der Wiel. The lecturers were Ms. Nickey Janse van Rensburg (University of Johannesburg, Ms. Chimene Chetty (University of the Witwatersrand) and Dr. Jennifer Kockx (TU Delft). Also present was Ellen van Andel, project coordinator and trainer in entrepreneurship and Africa.
The students have had a busy but interesting week in the Netherlands. The cocreatemycity project is soaring ahead – a splendid and encouraging demonstration of cooperation between embassIES, universitIES and a city.
Pictures by the Embassy of South Africa in The Hague.
