The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa and the University of Blida in Algeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Joint Centre of Excellence (JCoE) in aeronautics research.
The signing took place at the recent International Exhibition of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in Algeria.
The JCoE is facilitated by the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as well as the South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) to establish a working relationship where Algeria would be strengthened in the field of aeronautics and the DST supported in expanding the South Africa/Algeria science and technology bilateral.
Potential fields of co-operation include technologies for UAVs; avionics and ground systems; aircraft structures; gas turbines; wind tunnels; store integration; hypersonic flow; flow control; space technologies; computational methods; aero-elasticity; optronics; radar and aero acoustics.
Knowledge transfer in the form of staff exchange programmes, post-graduate student programmes, joint seminars and workshops, joint development programmes and co-supervision on post-graduate programmes leading to common publications, also form part of the JCoE.
“Outside of South Africa, there are really no other significant aeronautics research capabilities and facilities in Africa. Algeria’s equivalent Science and Technology Department understands the requirement for Africa to take ownership of its aeronautics research requirements and is delighted to close the African aeronautics research chasm through collaboration with South Africa,” Acting Executive Director at CSIR DPSS retired air force major general Des Barker said.
CSIR Aeronautics experts attended the International Exhibition of UAVs and model aircraft held under the patronage of the President of Algeria and facilitated by the Director General of Scientific Research and Technological development in Algeria. The CSIR presented on various topics and performed a flight demonstration of the CSIR’s Indiza Mini UAV.
The exhibition ran over three days with the keynote address given by Barker and concluding with the signing of an MoU between the CSIR, represented by Barker, and the University of Blida, represented by Dr Mohamed Mebarki, Algerian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The exhibition was part of the 60th anniversary of the start of the Revolution of November 1, 1954, with the participation of universities, research centres including the CSIR, and Algerian national institutions, such as the Ministry of National Defence. Also participating were foreign universities and scientific institutions specialised in the field of aeronautics from several countries, including Tunisia, Germany, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Russia and Brazil.
Source: Defence Web