In May 2025, Professor Peng Xinwen, the Dean of the School of Light Industry and Engineering (SLIE) at South China University of Technology (SCUT), visited the Department of Science and Innovation of the Republic of South Africa (ZA), the National Industry Council of ZA, the National Agriculture Council of ZA, the University of Pretoria, the University of Johannesburg, the University of South Africa, and the University of the Western Cape. During the visit, she held in-depth discussions with multiple South African universities and research institutions on the topics including the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass resources and the establishment of a pulp and papermaking platform. Introductory cooperation agreements were reached, with the universities and institutions outlining collaboration directions in joint research projects, graduate student exchange programs, co-creation of research platforms, and technological incubation. Daan duToit, Director of the Department of Science and Innovation of ZA, highly commended the research capabilities and technological achievements of SCUT. He expressed the willingness to facilitate collaboration of research institutions between China and ZA, supporting the development of cooperative platforms and the implementation of multi-institutional projects.

On June 14, 2025, Dean Peng Xinwen invited Bled Enzimandi, ZA's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, to jointly review the outcomes of preliminary visits and advance the cooperation. Peng pointed out that throughout this collaboration, SCUT and South African research institutions would establish long-term cooperation goals to promote the technological advances in papermaking, valorized biomass utilization, clean energy, and environmental protection. Minister Enzimandi's delegation visited the top-notch research platforms of SCUT and acknowledged the research achievements of the SLIE in the fields of advanced papermaking and functionalized paper-based materials. They highly praised the school's accomplishments in advanced papermaking and the utilization of bamboo, jute, and other agricultural and forestry biomass, expressing that the research fields of the SLIE closely aligned with ZA's development quests. They mentioned that the ZA Ministry of Science and Technology would actively support the expansion in scientific research cooperation, student training, and collaborations with international paper industry leaders such as Sappi. By leadership-level conversations and on-site investigations, Peng proposed establishing a China-Africa International Joint Laboratory by leveraging ZA's abundant biomass resources and SCUT’s core technologies in functionalized paper-based materials, contributing to the continued execution of the “10 Years Strategic Program on Cooperation between the People's Republic of China and ZA (2020-2029)” and deepening the strategic cooperation between China and Africa.On June 14, 2025, Dean Peng Xinwen invited Bled Enzimandi, ZA's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, to jointly review the outcomes of preliminary visits and advance the cooperation. Peng pointed out that throughout this collaboration, SCUT and South African research institutions would establish long-term cooperation goals to promote the technological advances in papermaking, valorized biomass utilization, clean energy, and environmental protection. Minister Enzimandi's delegation visited the top-notch research platforms of SCUT and acknowledged the research achievements of the SLIE in the fields of advanced papermaking and functionalized paper-based materials. They highly praised the school's accomplishments in advanced papermaking and the utilization of bamboo, jute, and other agricultural and forestry biomass, expressing that the research fields of the SLIE closely aligned with ZA's development quests. They mentioned that the ZA Ministry of Science and Technology would actively support the expansion in scientific research cooperation, student training, and collaborations with international paper industry leaders such as Sappi. By leadership-level conversations and on-site investigations, Peng proposed establishing a China-Africa International Joint Laboratory by leveraging ZA's abundant biomass resources and SCUT’s core technologies in functionalized paper-based materials, contributing to the continued execution of the “10 Years Strategic Program on Cooperation between the People's Republic of China and ZA (2020-2029)” and deepening the strategic cooperation between China and Africa.

Photo and text: Huang Chao

First review: Zhang Xu

Second review: Tan Xun'en

Final review: Zhang Jiangong