“The partnership between VUT and Osnabrück University focuses on driving tech entrepreneurship and bridging academic research with practical industry applications under Erasmus+.”
29 July 2025 | Story By: Tayron Mhlongo | Picture: Peter Masela
2 minutes read time.
On 25 July 2025, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) proudly welcomed Professor Josef Gochermann, a distinguished academic specialising in marketing and technology management at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences in Germany. He also holds an extraordinary professorship at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). This high-profile visit marked a significant step towards fostering a vibrant partnership aimed at revolutionising innovation and technology transfer from the classroom to the marketplace.
The core purpose of the collaborative meeting was to spark interdisciplinary engagement and develop strong links between VUT and Osnabrück University. Both institutions envision a future oriented alliance that will drive innovation, accelerate technological advancement, and ultimately deliver groundbreaking solutions to market, benefiting industries and communities alike.
Dr Grace Kanakana Katumba, VUT’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, provided critical leadership during the engagement. She highlighted the strategic objective of aligning this collaboration with the Erasmus+ programme, an industry focused European initiative known for enriching higher education through mobility, strategic partnerships, and policy development.
“At VUT, we are deeply committed to reshaping our graduate profile,” Dr Kanakana Katumba emphasised. “We aim to nurture techno entrepreneurial talent, graduates who not only innovate but are also prepared to contribute meaningfully to the economy.”
She further outlined the university’s ambition to develop responsive and adaptive curricula that meet real-time industry demands and national development priorities. Beyond curriculum reform, the meeting energised discussions on innovative teaching methodologies and delivery approaches, with the goal of fostering a fertile ecosystem of entrepreneurial thinking. This initiative promises to transform VUT’s industry-based qualifications into dynamic programmes that prepare students to thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy.
Professor Gochermann echoed this vision, offering insights into the core pillars of the Erasmus+ programme: mobility, capacity building in higher education, and high-level policy engagement. He emphasised the value of student exchange programmes that provide international exposure, enabling students to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical experience. This, he noted, greatly enhances graduate employability and instils a global perspective.
The meeting brought together a contingent of VUT leadership and academic experts, including Professor Christa Grobler, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences (FACS); Dr Kentse Motsetse, Senior Lecturer in Metallurgical Engineering; and Mr Vido Kungune, Acting Director of Internationalisation. Their participation underscored VUT’s collective commitment to building a productive and sustainable academic collaboration with Osnabrück University.
As VUT’s programme offerings align closely with the value chain envisaged by the Erasmus+ initiative, both universities are optimistic about formalising their partnership. The envisioned alliance aims to build institutional capacity, facilitate industry engagement, and foster collaboration with other universities, thereby strengthening the broader innovation ecosystem.