CPUT ignites community engagement internationally

Recently, CPUT had the opportunity to engage in a meaningful week-long workshop hosted by the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Community Engagement in the Southern Africa Region (CESAR).

It was a valuable experience that brought together individuals committed to fostering collaboration and community support in the region. Heike Heinen-Kritz, Senior Desk Officer for Higher Education Partnerships in Development Cooperation at DAAD, provided an overview of DAAD programmes in the Southern Africa region. Martin Kühn from FUAS led a session on transdisciplinary project feedback and interuniversity cooperation related to project deliverables. Delegates from NUST and Jacqui Scheepers, the CPUT CESAR project lead, shared their SDG Service-Learning projects and partnerships, which received positive feedback from DAAD.

CPUT builds on its existing partnerships with the City of Cape Town and the Robben Island Museum to implement Service-Learning projects across various academic disciplines. Toni Stringer, a CESAR team member and Head of the Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying, expressed that CESAR provides multiple opportunities for internationalisation and the establishment of sustainable partnerships for her department that extend beyond the project’s scope.

David Haarhoff, project support, said: “Our students will benefit from the experiential experiences of the CESAR Service-Learning projects. The holistic context provided by Heinen-Kritz of projects in the Southern Africa region and its impact shows DAAD’s commitment toward Southern Africa.”

Further engagements included the Ministry of Mines and Energy, which emphasised the importance of various projects and Namibia's commitment to providing support for the mining and energy sectors. The Directorate of Research, Innovation, and Partnerships (DRIP) at NUST, along with the Department of Co-operative Education, highlighted the critical need for international collaboration and discussed the impact of their respective directorates. Additionally, a World Café session on the dissemination of research outputs was facilitated by Jacques Korrubel, a member of the NUST team.

Project team member Prof. Marco Adonis, Head of the Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Computing Engineering, reflected on the project by highlighting the Khomanin Traditional Authority, where the youth council delivered a lively and emotive plan for their community interventions. The youth council presented plans for a poultry farm, a clinic, a police station, and a guest lodge. Adonis said the living labs implementation plan for Farm! Kharoxas was clear and practical, and the young voices were bold, affirmative, and empowering. Scheepers reflected that the inclusion of youth engagement and community voices in community projects is important for the sustainability and ownership of projects.

The engagement emphasized the crucial importance of community partnerships, and the role universities play in this context. The Khomanin Traditional Authority expressed their sincere gratitude for the work done by NUST through the current seed living lab focused on renewable energy and community development, which is helping to provide electrification to households.

Walter Kohlhofer, the Chief Executive and Work-Integrated Learning Faculty Coordinator for Engineering and the Built Environment, presented a model for establishing a FABLAB at CPUT. Scheepers and Paulus Shigwedha from NUST provided an overview of the Entrepreneurship Venture Builder (EVB), a grant awarded by the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa and CPUT to create a South African EVB. Both are trained mentors for the EVB at their respective institutions. The EVB, hosted by the Centre for Business Innovation and Incubation at CPUT, contributes to the broader tech ecosystem for universities of technology. Team member Prof. Dr Dirk Müller from FUAS shared lessons learnt about the impact of social entrepreneurship and the sustainable livelihood opportunities aligned with various projects.

Written by CPUT News
Email: news@cput.ac.za