The Acting Head of the Wellness Sciences Department, A/Prof Kareemah Najaar, has been crowned as one of the winners in Good Hope FM’s Warrior Woman Awards.

The awards honour “South African women who are changing the game, not for applause, but because it’s who they are at their very core”.

Najaar won the Education and Research category and is being recognised for the matric Life Science Revision Project.

Launched in 2018 by Najaar, the initiative was designed to support learners in achieving the minimum entry requirements for higher education science programmes.

“I feel a heartwarming sense of gratitude as the recipient of this award. I will however also say that the recipients are who make this project possible, from the co-project leaders, tutors to the teachers and the learners. In addition, without the support of my Faculty and CPUT, this project will not be possible. Our passion and vision to re-dress education inequality within STEM is being acknowledged and that means so much to me,” she said.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Acting Head of the Department of Wellness Sciences, Assoc Prof Kareemah Najaar, has been selected as one of the finalists in Good Hope FM’s Warrior Woman Awards.

The awards honour “South African women who are changing the game, not for applause, but because it’s who they are at their very core”.

Najaar is a finalist in the Education and Research category and is being recognised for the matric Life Science Revision Project.

Launched in 2018 by Najaar, the initiative was designed to support learners in achieving the minimum entry requirements for higher education science programmes.

“I am very honoured and overwhelmed to have been selected as a finalist. This vision to support our matrics from disadvantaged backgrounds is only realised because of the amazing team that I have,” she said.

“Being recognised for our work and passion is extremely humbling and in fact further ignites me to continue striving to redress the current education inequalities and to continue growing our collaborations so that we are able to extend our reach to additional high schools.”

Asked why she started the project, Najaar said: “I believe that high school learners registered in STEM programmes, are in the programmes because they love science, but their socio-economic statuses unfortunately put them at a significant disadvantage”.

“What if we could be the difference for these matrics, provide opportunities for them so that they may qualify for STEM programmes at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)? By creating a community of practice in which we combine the educational resources from their schools and from the HEIs, would be a powerful collaboration to support the learners.”

The project has grown from strength to strength.

“It has even expanded to include programmes that support our young female learners and to empower women in academia. I feel in many ways it is an extension of myself and an integral part of my academic path. Seeing the positive feedback from the learners and teachers makes me extremely proud to be allowed to support our future generation.”

To vote for Najaar, SMS WWA25, Kareemah Najaar, your name, surname and ID number to 37766.

For more on the awards, click here.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Popular Good Hope FM DJs Suga, Priya Reddy and Guy McDonald will be broadcasting their radio shows live from the CPUT Open Day exhibition at Bellville campus on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 May.

The broadcast will give listeners across the Western Cape a taste of the atmosphere at the University’s largest annual learner recruitment drive.

“The Cape Town Shakedown,” hosted by Suga from 9:00 to 12:00 and “Lunch Actually” hosted by Priya Reddy and Guy McDonald from 12:00 to 3:00 will both feature interviews with CPUT staff and students.

Suga, who was the first female DJ to have a primetime, weekday slot on commercial music format radio in Cape Town, is no stranger to CPUT. Her morning broadcast at Open Day 2008, which gave deans, lecturers and students turns behind the mike, was one of highlights of last year’s event.

This year, the Lunch Actually team, who took over Good Hope FM’s lunchtime slot in September 2008, will help extend the reach of the Open Day broadcast to afternoon listeners.

The broadcast on 14 May will kick off with an interview with CPUT Director of Marketing and Communication Norman Jacobs. Senior academic staff from the faculties of Business, Informatics and Design and Applied Sciences will then have their turn to tell radio listeners about programmes available at the institution.

The shows on 15 May will feature representatives of the Engineering, Health and Wellness and Education faculties. A student of Public Relations will have the final say at the last interview of the day on Friday.

Good Hope FM offers its audience a mixture of entertainment, information and community involvement. The station’s signal covers Metropolitan Cape Town and stretches as far as Langebaan, Malmesbury, Wellington, Paarl, Franchhoek, Stellenbosch and Gordon's Bay.

To find out more about the CPUT Open day broadcast, listen out for a promotional announcement currently being flighted on Good Hope FM. The station will also provide details of the broadcast on its website.

For CPUT Open Day enquiries, contact Grant Barends on 021 959 6087 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Written by CPUT News
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Nosipo Tisani, a third year Public Relations Management student, was crowned the worthy winner of the Good Hope FM Campus DJ Search during the Nigel Pierce Show on 19 March 2010 and was offered a one year on-air DJ contract on Good Hope FM.

Tisani is following in the steps of five other former CPUT campus radio DJ’s who have made it into professional broadcasting. Three of them are household names on Kfm while two are on the Hectic Nine 9 television show.

""It was a high level of competition. I thought I was the least likely to win. But they told me it’s not just based on your voice but on your professionalism and how you deal with different situations,"" said Tisani.

She thanked UniFM for helping teach her and fellow students professional radio skills. She also credited her PR lecturers for helping develop her interpersonal communications abilities.

“My Public Relations studies showed me how to approach people from different dimensions of life,” she said.

From mid February this year Good Hope FM gave students at various campuses across the Peninsula the opportunity to win an on-air DJ contract on the station during the Good Hope FM Campus DJ search.

The aim of this search was to find the best on-air DJ from campuses around the city. Other universities that took part in the competition were University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University.

“Nosipho started out as a presenter at UNI FM a few years ago and we are thrilled that another one of our presenters has made it into commercial radio. She has always had talent and determination and this has been the driving force behind her achievements,” said Dereck Stocken, Student Development Officer: Student Media and Events at CPUT.

The Good Hope FM team visited each campus for two days. The first day of each leg was an open MIC session, where anyone brave enough could try out while a panel of judges chose a group of finalists. The panel included Gerard Muller, Programme Manager, Kurt Meyer, Programming, Grant Lesch, Programming, Nigel Pierce, Presenter of the Nigel Pierce Show, Ready D, Presenter of the Ready D Show, and Natano Brache, Station Manager.

On day two of each leg of the competition, the finalists from the campus got to try out again in order for the panel of judges to then choose one person to represent their campus in the final, on-air leg.

Once all the campuses had been visited and the finalists had been selected – one from each campus – each finalist was given the opportunity to co-host That Radio Show presented by Ebrahiem Inglis.

The finalists battled it out on air in their fight till the bitter end each evening between 22:00 and 02:00.

Listeners were encouraged to vote for their favourite finalist by sending an SMS to the official Good Hope FM SMS vote line. These votes were tallied up with the final votes from the panel of judges and a winner was decided upon.

The winner was announced on 19 March 2010 shortly before 08:00 during the Nigel Pierce show and was offered a one year on-air DJ contract on Good Hope FM.

The team at Good Hope FM wished Nosipo well and said they can’t wait to hear her on air!

By Thami Nkwanyane

Written by CPUT News
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Popular regional radio station Good Hope FM recently visited CPUT as part of their search to find a ‘Radio DJ Champ 2010’.

CPUT students were encouraged to come and audition for the position of Radio DJ Champ, which includes a year-long contract to co-host a radio show with Ebrahiem Inglis, better known to listeners as ‘Ebi I’.

The competition auditions, which drew many students’ attention and were well attended, kicked off on 18 and 19 February 2010 at the Bellville Campus and concluded on 15 and 22 February 2010 at the Cape Town Campus.

Criteria for entrants included them having a broad general knowledge, a radio-friendly voice; being able to articulate, having a sense a humour, being able to take a stand, expressing a personal opinion and being able to defend and share their own views.

A major draw-card for the large crowds was renowned breakfast DJ Nigel Pierce and his colleague DJ Ready D, who acted as Good Hope FM judges.

On the first day of auditions, entrants participated in an open mic session. Judges then chose selected students who returned on day two to test their ad-libbing ability.

Journalism student Graeme Rauberheimer won the auditions for the Bellville campus and Nosipho Tisani, a Public Relations Management student, came first at the Cape Town auditions.

The comments from the judges were that they chose Rauberheimer for his natural appeal behind the microphone. Tisani was selected for her exuberance, clear voice and originality.

The Good Hope FM team visited the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and the University of the Western Cape during the two-week long competition which concluded on 26 February 2010.

All finalists will attend a series of workshops in March, where they will acquire radio presenting skills and receive individual voice coaching as part of the development programme.

The finalists from each campus will get an opportunity to co-host a show with Ebi I before the judges choose an overall winner.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: CPUT Students attend the Cape Town Campus leg of the Good Hope FM Radio DJ Champ 2010 competition.

Written by CPUT News

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Bellville Campus was abuzz on Saturday as thousands of learners visited to explore the various courses CPUT has to offer.

The annual Open Day proved to be a hit with parents, learners and teachers alike asking questions, collecting the prospectus and taking tours through various departments.

Students and staff members went all out to impress the future students with their eye-catching displays.

Listeners from across the Cape also got to share in the event as Good Hope FM was broadcasting live from the campus.

Student Recruitment Officer and event organiser Grant Barends thanked all the schools, parents and guardians for considering CPUT as their institution of choice.

“I would also like to thank all the students and staff members who helped to make the day a success.”

Applications to study at CPUT open on May 21.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Thousands of pupils from across the province will descend on the Bellville Campus tomorrow to explore the host of career opportunities CPUT has to offer.

The annual Open Day will start at 9:00 and is the perfect opportunity for learners to gain insight into possible career options.

Be sure to tune into Good Hope FM for a live broadcast from the campus between 9:00 and 12:00 with host Stan Mars.

More than 70 courses will be showcased and visitors will be able to interact with students and staff members from the university’s six faculties.

The Applied Sciences, Health and Wellness Sciences and Engineering faculties will also offer tours of some of their departments.

The exhibitions will take place at the following venues on campus:

Major Sports Hall: Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, Faculty of Informatics and Design, Faculty of Education and the Department of Maritime Studies and Survival Centre

Student Centre: Media Department (Journalism, Film Production, Photography, Public Relations and Communication) and Student Services

Old Education Hall: Faculty of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences.

Engineering Faculty Venues: Engineering courses

Entrance is free and Open Day will run until 16:00.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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