Next year CPUT will host the 5^th Annual Africa Engineering Week – an initiative jointly organised by UNESCO, the Department of Science and Technology and Engineering Council of South Africa.

Prof Marshall Sheldon, Acting DVC: Research and Innovation, led the CPUT delegation that attended this year’s Africa Engineering Week, which took place earlier in the month at the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein. She participated in a panel focussing on the role of Engineering in addressing the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

CPUT’s Faculty of Engineering also took part in the Engineering Exhibition held in conjunction with this event. Its stall was a joint effort between the faculty’s Student Engagement Coordinator, Luvuyo Kakaza, Rizah Rowe and Sinamandla Maqina from FSATI (French South Africa Institute of Technology), as well as Muziwandile Mazibuko from the Mechatronics Department. During this two-day exhibition, a number of Science and Mathematics learners from schools in Bloemfontein and surrounds attended.

The UNESCO Africa Engineering Week is annual event, hosted by the Department of Science and Technology and supported by the Engineering Council of South Africa, that is focused on addressing the challenges represented by a shortage of engineers in South Africa and attracting learners to subjects like Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This is a multifaceted event that rotates among the nine provinces of South Africa.

“It is with the expectation of great things happening on campus that we anticipate hosting next year’s Africa Engineering Week. This year’s installment of the initiative was very enlightening and stimulating for all who attended.

“I invite each member of the CPUT community to join the Faculty of Engineering in surpassing the success achieved at this year’s event,” says Sheldon.

Written by CPUT News
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Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo, recently delivered his state of the university address to hundreds of staff members at the Bellville Sports Fields.

Nhlapo welcomed the staff members, who were dressed in blue and white, and travelled from the various campuses to attend the event and said that while the institution had had its teething problems, CPUT was now a young adult at the precipice of great opportunity.

The Vice-Chancellor highlighted some of the progress made in 2022 and how it aligns to the institution’s Vision 2030 aspirations.

These successes included:

CPUT played a pivotal role in launching Africa’s first constellation of satellites. These satellites ensure that South Africa’s marine and coastal resources are secured and puts CPUT at the forefront of Africa’s space ambitions.

CPUT has partnered with Eskom to play its part in solving the country’s crippling energy crisis. Our South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre is working with Eskom to reskill its workers from decommissioned power stations to be retrained in critical renewable energy sectors.

CPUT was the first institution, through our Faculty of Education, to develop the Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education which is scheduled for application in the year 2024.

The institution has also rolled out a suite of new qualifications, like the Postgraduate Diploma in Mathematical Sciences, which has a strong foundation in Data Science.

Nhlapo said CPUT is the university of choice for the people of South Africa, The university has space for 18 500 students in campus accommodation with a plethora of alternatives like accredited and unaccredited options.

“No other university can boast housing 43% of its student body in residence the way we can. And while it may not be perfect, I believe our student-centric approach to housing has been a game changer. Today I commend the staff members who are at the coalface of this challenge, the ones who work late into the night and through weekends to vet and place these walk-ins. We see your hard work and we appreciate it.”

He added that CPUT received over 450 000 applications for study in 2023.

“My reflections on 2022 were done so that we can see the value of planning appropriately and sowing seeds today, that can reap benefits later. It is said that effective people do not start with their tasks, they start with their time available, and plan accordingly.

There is always a choice on how to best to use our limited time, I hope I have sparked an idea in you on what your future self can look like when we meet here again in 2024.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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