After more than 10 years, Professor Brand Wessels from the Faculty of AgriSciences, Department of Forestry and Wood Sciences at Stellenbosch University in South Africa visited the Kuchl campus again in June 2023 as part of an international Erasmus mobility programme. The common goal is to expand the cooperation between Salzburg University of Applied Sciences and Stellenbosch University.
The cooperation between the two departments, which was initiated by Prof. Barbu and Prof. Seifert, has existed since 2011. In 2013, Prof. Petutschnigg and Prof. Barbu, who has been an associate professor at the Faculty of AgriSciences for over 10 years, were members of the accreditation committee at Stellenbosch University for the forestry and wood science degree programmes. Since the beginning of the cooperation, around 20 students of Wood Technology & Timber Engineering from Kuchl have been able to develop their scientific skills through exchange semesters and summer internships in South Africa under the supervision of Prof. Wessels and Prof. Meincken. The cooperation has led to numerous scientific publications, joint supervision of doctoral and master's theses and joint projects.
This close cooperation is to be further intensified in the future in order to strengthen research in the field of timber construction and timber technology for tropical timber species as well as the circular economy in the timber sector in Austria and South Africa. During his visit, FH Prof. Thomas Schnabel, Head of Research at the Department of Green Engineering and Circular Design, and FH Prof. Tudor gave Prof. Wessels a tour of the laboratories at the Kuchl Campus and discussed ongoing research projects and current curriculum developments. They also visited companies in the province of Salzburg that specialise in the production of cross laminated timber.