Global Collaboration: NWU and Otago University Forge Research Links in Medicine and Space Science
- Karen Scheepers
- 5d
- 2 min read
The North-West University (NWU) is strategically advancing its internationalisation goals following high-level engagements at Otago University in New Zealand on November 28. The visit focused on strengthening academic and research ties in the rapidly evolving fields of medical training, health research, and space science.
The collaboration targets practical academic touchpoints, moving beyond mere agreements toward shared teaching, student mobility, and joint scientific projects.
🏥 Advancing Health Research and Medical Training
The NWU delegation’s meeting with senior academic teams at the Otago University Medical School spanned its three major campuses: Dunedin, Wellington, and Christchurch. Otago, New Zealand’s oldest higher learning institution (founded 1869) and a global top 200 university, is renowned for its medical faculty, which admits approximately 350 medical students annually.
Key areas of convergence in the health sciences include:
Medical Training Structure: Otago’s five-year medical programme, which integrates foundational medical sciences with structured clinical rotations, offers a strong model for comparison and collaboration.
Tuberculosis (TB) Genomic Research: The medical school's active microbiology and immunology units conduct crucial TB genomic research, an area of significant public health importance in South Africa.
Student and Staff Mobility: Prof. Luke Binu, extraordinary associate professor in the NWU’s Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research, noted that Otago's structures and research focus offer a "strong basis for student mobility, shared teaching, and structured academic projects."
These discussions are set to form the foundation for academic projects that will support institutional growth and enrich health science education at both universities.
🌌 Exploring the Cosmos: Deepening Space Science Expertise
Simultaneously, the NWU’s Centre for Space Research (CSR) engaged with leading Otago academics in astrophysics to identify areas for joint scientific work and postgraduate training.
The meeting involved Prof. Florian Beyer, Associate Dean of Science for Internationalisation, and Prof. Jonathan Squire of the Astrophysical Plasmas and Fluids Group. Their discussions highlighted significant shared research interests, including:
Cosmic-Ray Transport: The study of how high-energy particles move through space.
Heliospheric Physics: Research focusing on the region of space influenced by the Sun.
Plasma Astrophysics and Mathematical Modelling: Work on the behaviour of ionised gases in astronomical contexts and the advanced computational methods used to study them.
Prof. Amare Abebe Gidelew, Research Director at the CSR, stated that the intersection of their research programmes offers meaningful opportunities for focused postgraduate supervision and joint scientific work, which will strengthen both research outputs and the student training pipeline.
🎓 Strategic Lessons and Future Action
The visit to Otago concluded a broader tour by NWU administrators and academics to Australia and New Zealand. Nontsikelelo Kote-Nkomo, Executive Director for Strategy and Strategic Projects at the NWU, highlighted key strategic takeaways for the university’s future direction toward 2026:
Indigenous Integration: Key lessons were observed regarding how universities in the region successfully integrate Aboriginal and Māori communities into their academic systems.
Scientific Infrastructure: The delegation was particularly impressed by the "depth of work in astrophysics and astronomy," including the scale of their scientific infrastructure and long-term planning models.
The NWU’s focus is now shifting to "practical action" rather than just formal Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs). Further engagements are expected as both the NWU and Otago University work to translate these exploratory meetings into structured research and academic opportunities.
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