A partnership in pursuit of common interests such as research and development, innovation and the advancement of the knowledge-based economy came to fruition when the Premier of Gauteng, David Makhura signed of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Gauteng-based universities at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) on Wednesday, 24 May 2017.

The Vice-Chancellor of UJ, Prof Ihron Rensburg, together with the Vice-Chancellors of the University of Pretoria, the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of South Africa, the Tshwane University of Technology, the Vaal University of Technology and the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, agreed to strengthen research and innovation by collaborating on areas of energy security and water security; economic growth and development; governance and public administration and environment sustainability.

The MoU confirms the commitment of the Gauteng Provincial Government to work with various stakeholders in pursuit of the vision of building an integrated, economically inclusive, sustainable and socially cohesive competitive city region.