China signs deal with South Africa for the South Africa-China Young Scientists Exchange Programme

On April 30, 2019, the Chinese Embassy in South Africa and the South African Ministry of Science and Technology held a send-off ceremony for 7 young South African scientists who will be traveling to China to conduct joint research.

These scientists are the first group to be supported by the "Action Plan for the Implementation of the Young Scientist Exchange Program" signed by the South African Department of Science and Technology and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology in July of 2018.

As reported by the Embassy, the South African scientists will visit Wuhan University, Tongji University, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University of Technology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, National Astronomical Observatory of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Mining and Metallurgical Technology Group, and other units to carry out cooperative research.

The program will last for 5-years and will primarily people from historically disadvantaged institutions.

Professor Peng Yi, Chinese Dean of the Confucius Institute at Johannesburg University was invited to provide Chinese language and culture training for the scientists.

As the next segment of the exchange, Chinese scientists were expected to come to South Africa for joint research in the second half of 2019.