On 11 April 2008 CPUT alumni attended a presentation by fellow alumnus Paul Johnston titled “Introduction to Financial Planning.” Johnston is Financial Advisor at Sanlam.

The presentation took place at Granger Bay Campus and provided practical advice on how to reap the results of good financial management.

Written by CPUT News
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With its prime seafront location, the Granger Bay Campus is home to the renowned Cape Town Hotel School, the oldest in the city.

A leader of hospitality education on the African continent, the school boasts state-of-the-art training and educational facilities, including a show kitchen and alumni cocktail bar that forms part of the stylish Hotel School Restaurant, which is open to the public.

Positioned next to the V&A Waterfront and Table Bay Harbour, the campus also features a harbor area and extensive training facilities that form part of the Survival Centre.

BREATHTAKING: The Granger Bay Campus is located on the ocean and overlooks Table Bay

The centre is a full member of the International Association for Safety and Survival Training and offers a wide range of maritime safety courses for industry.

Courses in Maritime Engineering and Marine Engineering are also offered at the campus.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

Scores of researchers and academics converged at the Granger Bay Campus to discuss pertinent issues about language development and multilingualism as CPUT hosted an international conference.

The 18^th international conference of the African Language Association of Southern Africa (ALASA) kicked off on Wednesday under the theme New Directions and Perspectives in African Language Research in the 21^st Century.

Researchers from universities in various parts of Africa and Holland presented academic papers that investigate issues such as language in education, curriculum development and translation.

The three-day conference is organized by Fundani’s Language Unit headed by Prof Monwabisi Ralarala.

CPUT Vice-Chancellor, Dr Prins Nevhutalu, told the delegates that he was concerned about the growing number of young blacks who can’t speak their mother tongues as languages enable us to function effectively.

He argued that in Japanese culture locals who can’t speak the language are admonished.

He challenged the conference to enable Africans to acquire technological skills in their mother tongues.

ALASA executive chairperson, Dr Mantoa Smouse, urged the delegates not to conduct research only for the purposes of gaining promotion or funding but encouraged them to conduct research that will develop our communities.

“We can’t compete with the world on its own terms but ours, and language is one of those,” added Smouse.       

The conference’s keynote speakers were Prof James Ogude, Deputy Director: Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship at the University of Pretoria, Prof Matthias Brenzinger, Head of Linguistics at the University of Cape Town, and Naledi Mbude-Shale, Director of Language in Education Policy Unit in the Eastern Cape Department of Education.

The conference was sponsored by the ArtsCape, Via Afrika, CPUT, National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and N F Saliwa Publishing. 

Written by Kwanele Butana

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In recognition of the training excellence offered in the Cape Town Hotel School, the sector has awarded approximately R1.5m in bursaries, equipment, and accommodation vouchers to about 38 of its students.

These and other academic excellence awards were announced on the Granger Bay Campus recently during the school’s Annual Awards Ceremony.

Every year Protea Hotels by Marriot awards bursaries to students who show potential in the industry, and 17 students from the school received bursaries.

The Cape Liquor and Catering Trade Educational Trust, which was formed in 1999 and is closely aligned to the Tourism Hospitality and Catering Pension Fund, awarded R50 000 to the school’s students.

Tsogo Sun awarded bursaries to ten BTech students, with five awarded on academic merit and others on financial need, while the Cape Town International Convention Centre awarded three bursaries worth R30 000 each. The latter award includes a one-year graduation training programme at the centre.

Six more bursaries were awarded to individual hotel school students including an overseas scholarship by Feedem, Hotel School Restaurant, FEDHASA, the Hospitality Property Fund and University College Birmingham.

For many years the University College Birmingham has been sponsoring a Hotel School student to complete their 4th year of study there. Valued at approximately R350 000, this very prestigious scholarship is awarded to a student with the best academic record and who can succeed in the overseas industrial environment.

Hotel School director Thembisile Molose believes the sector’s continued support is adding value to CPUT.

“Our students can only grow from strength to strength and we are, therefore, very excited for them to be so fortunate as many have the opportunity to work for a year in some of the hotels that awarded them bursaries,” says Molose.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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With its prime seafront location, the Granger Bay Campus is home to the renowned Cape Town Hotel School, the oldest in the city.

Last year the school was recognized by industry as the leader of hospitality education on the African continent. Last year alone the school produced close to 100 graduates, of whom many were snapped up by industry, both locally and internationally.

The school has state-of-the-art training and educational facilities, including a show kitchen and alumni cocktail bar that forms part of the stylish Hotel School Restaurant, which is open to the public, seven days a week.

Positioned next to the V&A Waterfront and Table Bay Harbour, the campus also features a harbour area and extensive training facilities that form part of the Survival Centre.

The centre is a full member of the International Association for Safety and Survival Training and offers a wide-range of maritime safety courses for industry.

Courses in Maritime Engineering and Marine Engineering are also offered at the campus.

Maps and contact details for the Granger Bay Campus

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

The Granger Bay Campus is home to the oldest hotel school in the city.

The Cape Town Hotel School is renowned in the South African hospitality sector, and produces highly skilled graduates who are trained in accommodation management, food and beverage management and professional cookery.

The school boasts state of the art facilities, including a show kitchen and a cocktail bar that forms an integral part of the Hotel School Restaurant, which is open to the general public.

Thembisile Molose, the Hotel School Director attributes their success to close ties with industry and remaining on par with the latest developments in their sector.

“Our international benchmarking ensures that we attract top learners from the best schools,” he says,

Last year the Hotel School signed a memorandum of understanding with top international culinary schools such as Ferrandi, a hotel school in Paris, France.

The campus also houses the Maritime Engineering Department and the cutting-edge Survival Centre. The campus also houses slipways that can accommodate vessels up to 46 ton, which can be rented.

Vessel owners who need to dock their boats for surveys, repairs and maintenance can do so at the Granger Bay Slipway.

Situated a stone's throw away from the world famous V&A Waterfront, the campus boast a harbour area and extensive marine training facilities.

View Granger Bay Campus maps and contact details

Written by Kwanele Butana
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The Cape Town Hotel School recently celebrated the efforts of their students who excelled academically and showed commitment to the hospitality industry in 2016.

Several prizes were awarded during the glitzy Annual Awards ceremony, which was held on the Granger Bay Campus.

It was attended by captains of the hospitality industry who also donated the prizes handed over to the winners.

The students who scooped more than two awards were Jadre Swartbooi and third-year students Carl van Niekerk and Kelly Julie.

The biggest winner of the evening was Jadre as he scooped the prestigious University College Birmingham Scholarship valued at approximately R350 000 to complete his fourth year of studies.

Luvo Ntezo, Head Sommelier at One&Only Cape Town, was the guest speaker during the ceremony.

He said his life changed after he joined the One and Only Hotel in 2011 and added that being a sommelier was not just a job but a lifestyle.

“Wine is not just a beverage you open and drink. Each wine has a story; wine unites the people and makes the world smaller.”

Written by Kwanele Butana
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A project, which has helped hundreds of young people by giving them a second chance to write their matric exams, is growing from strength to strength, thanks to CPUT and a range of partners.

Recently a new intake of learners, who will make up the class of 2017, were inducted into the Second Chance programme, which will provide them with free tuition.

The CPUT programme was first launched and co -sponsored in 2015 by the National Youth Development Agency and the Education Training and Development Practices SETA.

In 2016, the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority came on board to sponsor 50 learners specifically for Mathematics and Physical Science.

This year the project is proving to be in huge demand with more than 2 000 applications received for the only 300 available places in 2017.

They will have the opportunity to rewrite the matric exams in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Accounting and English First Additional Language, thanks to the Advancement Department, the Service-Learning Unit and the Faculty of Education at CPUT, the Western Cape Education Department and the ETDP-SETA.

At a mini seminar held at the Granger Bay campus, where stakeholders could reflect on and evaluate the project, one of the project’s many success stories was celebrated.

Lakin Seconds, who completed the programme last year and was at the top of the class, has been awarded a bursary through the Solomon Mahlangu Bursary Fund. She is currently studying medicine at the University of the Free State. Her parents thanked the stakeholders for helping Lakin to achieve her goals.  

“No student can turn around and say they didn’t get a second chance. It is an excellent programme.  I don’t have the words to say how thankful we are. I’m promoting the programme wherever I go,” Lakin’s mother, Lynn Seconds, told the stakeholders.

Jacqui Scheepers, project manager and manager of the Service-Learning Unit at CPUT, says the project would continue to build on its successes this year, while aiming to increase attendance and parental involvement.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Delegates from around the globe will descend on CPUT in July for the 13th International Conference on e-Learning (ICEL). 

The conference will be held at the Granger Bay Campus on July 5 and 6, said Assoc Prof Eunice Ivala, who is the conference chair and CPUT’s Coordinator Educational Technology: Centre for Innovative Educational Technology.

“This year the core theme of the conference is Blended learning and learning analytics, and we are especially looking forward to learning from each other on how learning analytics and blended learning are applied in different environments,” said Ivala.

About 120 delegates from more than 50 countries are expected to attend.

The keynote speakers include Prof Johannes Cronjé, Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Design, who will do a presentation on What Pokémon Go taught me about collectionism in e-learning and Prof Susan Geertshuis from the University of Auckland Business School in New Zealand, whose keynote address will focus on Blending institutions: Technology as a means of uniting universities in the service of our students.

The conference has previously been held in a number of countries including Malaysia and Chile and generally attracts a combination of academic scholars, practitioners and individuals who are engaged in various aspects of e-Learning.

Among other journals, the Electronic Journal of e-Learning (indexed by Scopus) publishes a special edition of the best papers presented at the conference.
For the full programme and more information about the conference please go to: https://www.academic-conferences.org/conferences/icel/

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences recently resumed face-to-face orientation sessions for first-year students on the District Six Campus.

“The number of students who attended the face-to-face sessions surpassed numbers expected as well as orientation sessions pre-Covid-19, as most departments had approximately 80% of the registered students attending orientation in 2022,” said Mandie Richards, Business Information and Administration (BIA) senior lecturer. Richards added that seeing the piazza abuzz with animated students laughing and chatting was a “heart-warming moment” as students are the life and energy of the institution.  “The enthusiasm and excitement exuded by students to be on campus added to the atmosphere, as students quickly connected with lecturers and their peers and [had] an exciting start to their academic journey.”

Richards said although most departments concluded the orientation sessions on Friday, 25 February, a few departments further engaged first years in face-to-face sessions during the remainder of the first term.

The departments were introduced by Faculty Dean, Prof Paul Green, utilizing a welcome video (hyperlink https://youtu.be/vXroQY20GhE)

The BIA department, as did most departments, invited various speakers from industry, alumni, and service departments to engage with students.  Students were also welcomed from the outset by the BIA student assistants at the entrance of the campus Administration Building and escorted to the orientation venues. Lively discussions with an external organisation, Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM), took place, and issues of gender-based violence (GBV), sexual harassment and students’ rights were discussed. The sessions provided students with contact details of various organisations that will assist and counsel them should students require such help.

“Many questions emanated from the students, and the Faculty will continue these conversations as part of the First Year Experience, as GBV is a mandatory module for first years in the Faculty and integrated into the curriculum,” said Richards.  The Financial Aid Office presented relevant information about NSFAS (write in full), and shared vital information regarding financial issues, that are uppermost on many students’ minds who require financial assistance.  

The Cape  Town Hotel School engaged vendors and suppliers to meet with students at the Granger Bay Campus, and the Campus turned into a mini-expo with tasty treats available for students to purchase and a good introduction to cuisine offered at the Hotel School, which was recently awarded a 4-star rating. 

Students in all departments were given a campus tour to familiarise themselves with the campus. They attended sessions held in the computer laboratories to allow them to log in to their emails, activate their accounts, and gain assistance in navigating Blackboard.  Departments also invited the Disability Unit, Student Counselling Unit, the Library, the HIV/Aids Unit and Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development to engage with students and advise on various support structures at CPUT to assist students.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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CPUT is the largest university of technology in the region and has a student population of more than 30 000. It has several campuses and satellite sites, stretching from the Cape Town city centre to as far as George in the Southern Cape.

Each campus has unique characteristics and functions.

Did you know:

• The Bellville Campus is home to the world-renowned French South African Institute of Technology, which produced and launched Africa’s first nanosatellite.
• The Cape Town Campus accommodates the university’s largest faculty, the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.
• The Wellington Campus has become known for producing teachers trained in the Afrikaans medium as well as the next generation of leaders in the agriculture sector.
• The Mowbray Campus annually produces the largest number of teaching graduates in the Western Cape.
• The Athlone Campus and the Worcester and George satellite campuses produce nursing staff for the country’s health sector.
• The Granger Bay Campus is home to the stylish Hotel School Restaurant, which overlooks Robben Island.
• The Roeland Street Building is home to students and staff from Journalism, Photography, Public Relations and Multimedia.

Media City is based on the Foreshore and accommodates students and staff of the Architecture, Town and Regional Planning, and Interior Design schools.

For campus contact details see: http://www.cput.ac.za/about/contact

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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It is abundantly clear that the CPUT executive and management’s hearts are geared towards the development of the marginalised persons to reach their full potential.

These are the words of the Managing Director: Fisheries Economic Development Research Advisory and Training Institute (FEDRATI), Dr Mark Botha. Speaking at the formal launch of the FEDRATI and CPUT strategic partnership at Granger Bay Campus, Botha said: “Today, my dream is being realised thanks to industry as represented by Brimstone and Sea Harvest; and academia, as represented by Cape Peninsula University of Technology. That is, the advancement of the fisheries sector through a strategic collaboration between academia and industry.”

The new strategic partnership agreement concluded between FEDRATI and CPUT is expected to boost the South African Oceans Economy and, in particular, the Small-Scale Fisheries Economy. This partnership is supported by South African Fisheries Development Fund. FEDRATI initiated the partnership and provides a vehicle for industry (currently Brimstone Investment Corporation and Sea Harvest Corporation) to interact with academia, in this case CPUT, to foster synergistic institutional relations. “In doing so, the fisheries economy is being advanced, and academia are able to provide industry responsible and learning programmes,” he said.

To date FEDRATI has awarded bursaries to postgraduate students in excess of R2 million for fisheries and allied sectors research. Botha, who has been actively involved in the fisheries sector, particularly the small-scale fisheries sector) for 22 years, said over the years several challenges facing the sector have been identified. These include the lack of resources, training, and research to meet the sector’s economic developmental needs.

Through his PhD research, he conceptualised the need for a single delivery institute for the fisheries sector to address and consolidate all developmental challenges in a holistic manner. “Such an institute ought to focus on: research (Commercial and Academic), education and training, and business advisory services (coaching and mentoring).”

Botha had presented the collaboration concept to CPUT with backing from industry who instantly bought into the concept. With the assistance of the former and current Research Chairs of CPUT’s Oceans Economy – Centre for Sustainable Oceans, Prof Ken Findlay and Dr Conrad Sparks and the executive management at CPUT, the concept morphed into an institutional strategic partnership between CPUT and FEDRATI. “Furthermore, what makes this partnership unique is that it falls directly under the office of the deputy vice-chancellor. The FEDRATI-CPUT partnership fosters both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, training and advisory services.

“Our primary aim is to stimulate fisheries economic development through an institutional partnership between [the] industry and higher education – a first for South Africa.”

In his opening remarks, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation, and Partnerships, Dr David Phaho, recognised the presence and contributions of executives from Sea Harvest, Mary-Lou Harry, the COO, Konrad Geldenhuys, Botha as well as executives from Brimstone Investment Corporation under the leadership of Dr Fred Robertson. Phaho said: “Our relationship with the private sector will become even more important. In line with our strategic Vision, V2030, we have identified our relationship with Quintuple Helix partners, government, industry, society, and the environment as key to our long-term sustainability as an institution of higher learning.”

He continued: “Central to that is our commitment to focus on research activities which have a tangible impact on society as well as focusing on skills development which are aligned to the needs of the industry. CPUT is deeply appreciative of the overwhelming support of FEDRATI) through its funders for our postgraduate bursary programme and its mutually beneficial partnership with our Centre for Sustainable Oceans.”

Phaho also said the executive management would extend an invitation to the partners in FEDRATI to outline their plans to collaborate with companies in the fisheries and related sectors to ensure that “the broader society benefits sustainably from the bounty provided by our oceans”. Reflecting on the event, Botha said: “I was deeply moved by the support from both industry (Brimstone and Sea Harvest) and CPUT.

Acting Chair: Centre for Sustainable Oceans, Dr Conrad Sparks said the CPUT's role is to conduct research and projects that link fishing industries with societal needs and that the launch event was a “huge success and the start of a very fruitful engagement between CPUT and FEDRATI. “The partnership will strengthen opportunities for CPUT (via the centre for Sustainable Oceans) to build on its strategic plan V2030, in particular Focus Areas 2, 6 and 7 within the fisheries (and related) sectors.”

Director of the Research Development Directorate, Prof Dina Burger said they have a pride to be part of the launch as it was a testimony of a dream that so many role-players have had. Burger thanked all the dignitaries representing the respective stakeholders for the opportunity to co-partner and journey with them and for the collective efforts to support CPUT research as well as the students.

She said at the event, FEDRATI and CPUT solidified their partnership for many years to come. In Burger emphasised the importance of a compact between CPUT and communities and explained that the research and projects that they would ideally prefer to be involved with should originate from the community and should be carefully co-planned and created between the community and CPUT researchers and should ultimately find its way back to the community where it originated from.

“At CPUT we are committed to undertake relevant research for the benefit of society and to be taken up by society. I encourage the Interim Chair, Dr Sparks, to engage with the communities present from the West Coast to jointly decide on the most pressing issues of concern that they believe we should research.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) wrapped up Africa month with a celebration at the Granger Bay Campus, including an exhibition of African artifacts.

Guests proudly donned their diverse tradition attires while information sharing about the importance of the Africa Day was also on the agenda.

The DSA’s intention with hosting Africa Day was to commemorate and affirm the Division’s commitment to the CPUT vision 2030, in promoting the ‘oneness and smartness’. Commemorating Africa Day was crucial given that it allowed a platform for conversations. “In our quest to partner with relevant stakeholders to build relationships and enhance strong relationships between local and international students, Africa Day provided a platform to engage on common continental issues, this was done through conversations, exhibitions, learning from each country and providing opportunities that can benefit students and staff,” said Njabulo Maphumulo, Deputy Dean of Student Affairs.

The outdoor festivities included performance by a marimba band, African traditional dance groups and African countries craft stalls and exhibition. There was a screening of the “Preserving Khwe/Xam Heritage, a creative expression.

In his opening address, Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo, said Africa Day was an exciting annual event where the institution joins other Africans in celebrating the mother continent, its rich resources, its astonishing beauty, and its profound cultural diversity. “This is an important day to us as it gives us a very rare opportunity to reflect and to talk about issues affecting us as Africans. It’s an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to work collectively with other institutions on the continent and promote responsible internationalisation.”

Prof Simphiwe Sesanti from the Faculty of Education, University of the Western Cape, also took to the stage and shared his views on: Contextualising Africa Day and its meaning in the Higher Education Context. There were also messages of support from the diplomatic community, which included Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Angola.

The keynote speaker, Honourable Alvin Botes, Deputy Minister, International Relations and Cooperation, delivered his presentation on celebrating Africa Day through education, innovation and culture”. Alfonce Ngasirmoi from Kenya and Milka Bazeka, a Democratic Republic of Congo native, both shared their experiences of students and staff in a higher education context.

Reflecting on the event, Maphumulo said it was a major success, given that it was a unique project that combined the academic project by the Cape Town Hotel School Hospitality students who showcased their culinary skills as they prepared African cuisine during the day. “The event was further a success as it showcased the rich culture and diversity of our students who displayed their talents through music, traditional dance and cuisine.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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CPUT recently hosted business and industry partners for a productive engagement, which also served as a platform to launch the Institutional Industry Advisory Forum.

The Forum will seek to advise on job market trends, as they relate to work-integrated learning, future-proof curricula, research and innovation.

The event, held at the Cape Town Hotel School on the Granger Bay campus, provided valuable opportunities for networking while some of the cutting-edge research conducted at CPUT was also showcased.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo said cooperation in research development and innovation between universities and industries plays a fundamental role in the economic development of any country.

“Industry benefits from state-of-the-art laboratories and technology from academia, while higher education institutions learn about business reality and market needs.”

Prof Dina Burger, Director: Research Development, said the event was a significant day and milestone on the calendar for the CPUT community.

Burger said one of the university’s focus areas is smart engagement and strong links with quintuple helix partners.

“A partnership between us will take us far, and today we will solidify our commitment to partnerships in launching the institutional industry forum.”

The keynote speaker was PRASA acting regional manager, Raymond Maseko, who said PRASA was the beneficiary of a partnership with CPUT. He outlined the important role CPUT students had played in the recovery of PRASA’s rail network.

Maseko said that when the train service resumed after the hard lockdown in 2020, PRASA had to recover much of its network, which had been destroyed during the lockdown.

“Because we were planning now to recover the service, we increased our intake from CPUT in 2021 to about 36 students from the electrical engineering school, from mechanical engineering and also we took some operations management students.” Some of the students worked as project managers.

He said 21 of these students were now permanent PRASA employees.

“We have recovered all of the stations with the people that we have been working with, from industry, of course other contractors, but specifically from people that we have sourced from partnering with CPUT.”

Prof Lalini Reddy, Director of the Centre for Community Engagement and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), said it had been an honour for the Centre to co-host the event.

“In launching the Institutional Industry Advisory Forum, we commit to offering our future-proof curricula in preparing them for the future world of work.”

Prof Rishidaw Balkaran, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching, said the idea was to ensure that CPUT made learning relevant for our students but there were also benefits for industry, including from the cutting-edge research conducted at the institution.

David Haarhoff, Project Lead, Community Engagement and WIL, said events of this nature aligned with the institution’s vision of being an inclusive university that constantly strives to collaborate and innovate with industry partners.

“The focal point of the event was essentially to recognise the dedication and efforts of industry partners in affording our students opportunities to develop professionally. I am extremely happy with the engagement and networking of industry partners who also recognise the university’s research efforts and provide current trends within industry which align to the curriculum.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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