From October 17 to 21, 2022, Training Course on the Satellite Navigation and Remote Sensing Applications in China and Southern Africa was successfully held in an “online + offline” format with the support of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of South Africa, China Satellite Navigation Office, Department of Transport of South Africa, Department of Science and Innovation of South Africa, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and the Centre.
Mr. Shen Long, Minister-counsellor of Science and Technology from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Chen Gucang, Deputy Director of China Satellite Navigation Office, Mr. Wu Haitao, Deputy Chief Engineer of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Mr. Lindiwe Mawowa, Deputy Director of the Department of Transport of South Africa, Mr. Eugene Avenant, Chief Engineer of the SANSA, Mr. Weng Jingnong, Executive Director of the Centre, and experts in the direction of Satellite Navigation, including Mr. Yang Dongkai, Mr. Jin Tian, Ms. Xiu Chundi and Mr. Wu Falin, attended the opening ceremony at the venue of the Centre in Beihang University.
Mr. Chen Gucang said in his opening speech that the applications of BDS has entered the fast lane of marketization, industrialization and internationalization. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and South Africa, our cooperation in satellite navigation will reach a new level so as to make new contributions to the well-being of our two peoples and to build a community with a shared future for mankind. We will adhere to the development concept of “China’s BDS, the World’s BDS, and the First-Class BDS” to provide global users with BDS services of higher performance, greater reliability and more richness.
During the training period, twelve (12) experts from home and abroad, including Mr. Wu Haitao and Mr. Jin Tian, lectured through nine (9) reports on the current situation of BDS, its applications in various fields, its education and training, principles and applications of Remote Sensing Satellites, etc., which were widely praised by a total of eighty-six (86) participants from South Africa and Southern African countries such as Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Through this training, the participants showed great interest in BDS technology and hoped to jointly promote the application of BDS in Southern Africa, and wanted to have the opportunity to study in China and grow into international talents in the field of satellite navigation. After the training course, Mr. Wang Yuchen, Director of South Africa-China Transport Co-operation Center (SACTCC), issued the course-completion certificate to the participants.
At the same time, Mr. Chen Gucang and Mr. Wu Haitao came to the Centre for visit and exchange, and said that they would continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Beihang University and the Centre, promoting the Centre “going global” and further expanding its influence.
