South Africa’s Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) and New Zealand’s University of Canterbury have signed an agreement to collaborate in the sphere of green hydrogen production. This was CHIETA’s first international agreement and though the agreement was signed on Tuesday, in Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg, it was only announced on Friday.

Part of the collaboration would be the creation of a Study Abroad programme for South African students at the university’s campus in Christchurch, on New Zealand’s South Island. There, the students would obtain first-hand experience with hydrogen-sector startups.

The agreement was signed by CHIETA CEO Yershen Pillay and University of Canterbury Engineering Faculty executive dean Professor Saurabh Sinha. Prof Sinha has previously been Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg.

“This is our first agreement internationally, and we are delighted to open doors to South African students having study opportunities at the University of Canterbury,” affirmed Pillay. “We are incredibly grateful to Prof Sinha for enabling us to partner with one of the world’s leading universities.”

“We are looking forward to a mutually beneficial collaboration and ensuring that South African students have access to world-class learning and tuition facilities that enable them to return home soundly equipped to contribute to the burgeoning green hydrogen sector,” said Sinha.

Pillay highlighted that the green hydrogen sector was developing “enormous” opportunities that would create jobs, develop skills, and so grow the economy. CHIETA will issue an open call for students, to apply for three-month study opportunities at the University of Canterbury.

The University of Canterbury was founded in 1873 and is particularly known for its engineering expertise, especially in the civil and structural engineering fields. The university should not be confused with the institution based in the City of Canterbury in the UK, which is known as Canterbury Christ Church University, and only became a university in 2005.