Covid-19 restrictions have spurred the Emergency Medical Sciences Department to introduce a digital platform for conducting interviews with prospective students.

The department is employing a locally developed solution, which allows prospective students to do an online virtual interview, at their own time and place.

John Meyer, Interim Faculty IT Coordinator: Health and Wellness Sciences, says the platform eliminates the need for applicants to travel to the interview. It also reduces the resources required by the Department to sit through a face to face interview with each candidate.

“Not only will this save us significant time, but it also means that each candidate goes through exactly the same interview experience, consistently, and allows us to be able to automatically interview as many candidates as we require at any one time.”

More than 300 candidates from all over South Africa and Africa will be interviewed.

“We will also be using the platform for virtual clinical simulation and as a video portfolio of learning during the year,” says Meyer.

The platform is compatible with all mobile devices and uses very little data.

The students will have three days to start the interview and will have one hour to complete the interview.

“We are then able to review the video answers of each candidate and decide on the next step in the process. It enables us to do volume recruitment online and will assist us in accelerating the student placements according to our timeframes and requirements.”

Meyer added that the language unit played an important role in translation and ensuring that the English is pitched at the right level for the candidates.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The hard work of a group of CPUT administrators recently paid off, when they were each awarded a certificate in Business Administration.

For the past two years, administrators from various faculties, departments and units participated in the Business Administration Certificate course.

The course, which is accredited by the Services Seta, was offered by the CPUT Training and Development Department and facilitated by Siyathembana, a local training consultancy.

The course focused on developing skills in various areas of business administration, from event management to ethics.

Glenda Mathven from Siyathembana, who moderated the course, said she was impressed with the calibre of the CPUT staff members.

Addressing the administrators at the certificate ceremony, which was held on 6 November 2009 on Bellville campus, Mathven said: “I am very proud of you.”

Services Seta, who evaluated the staff members’ portfolios, was also impressed with the standard of work.

“They informed me that this is the best group of business administration portfolios they have ever seen,” said Mathven.

Beverly Dolley, an administrator in the office of the Dean of Health and Wellness Sciences, who completed the course, received the top student award.

Dolley said the course was interesting and well presented.

“It was applicable to my work situation,” she said.

Manger of Training and Development at CPUT, Thelo Wakefield, said he was proud of the group who managed to complete the two-year course, while juggling the demands of work and their personal lives.

He encouraged the group to continue participating in activities which will aid their development.

“The quest for knowledge is never ending,” he said.

Wakefield said they have developed a similar two-year course, which is aimed at the development of secretaries at the institution. This course will be rolled out in 2010.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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Teaching and Learning enjoyed centre stage recently when the university, for the first time, honoured recipients of in-house as well as external teaching awards at one event.

Normally only the winners of the Institutional Teaching and Learning Excellence Awards would be lauded in this way, but this year the honour was extended to faculty awardees, Teaching Advancement at University (TAU) fellows and the CPUT winner of a 2017 National Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award. The awardees were given the opportunity to give a short presentation on their teaching philosophy and practice, after which they took questions from the audience.

This year’s institutional winners are Drs Muhammad Nakhooda (Applied Sciences) and Mark Marais (Health and Wellness Sciences). Siddique Motala from the Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying received the national teaching award from Council of Higher Education (CHE) and the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of South Africa (Heltasa). Nakhooda together with Drs Hanlie Dippenaar (Education) and Xena Cupido (Fundani CHED) are TAU fellows, while Dr Ayesha Toyer was recognised by the Faculty of Informatics and Design for her teaching skill.

According to Prof Anthony Staak, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, good teachers are often not given the recognition they deserve. “There is a lot more we can do, but it’s heartening to see that the Department of Higher Education and Training are supporting teaching endeavours through, amongst others, staff development. Occasions like these, where teaching excellence is celebrated, also make a contribution,” says Staak, who together with Fundani CHED hosted the event.

Assoc Prof James Garraway from Fundani CHED expressed the hope that an event like this would hosted again next year and that it would eventually become a fixture on the university’s events calendar.

Written by Abigail Calata

Researchers based in the Health and Wellness Sciences Faculty at CPUT, in collaboration with the University of Stellenbosch, are leading research on the prevalence of diabetes and the associated cardiovascular risks factors.

The prevalence of diabetes in South Africa, especially in the Western Cape, is not well documented, and as a result there is no recent data available on the prevalence of diabetes in this province.

However, with the research being conducted by CPUT postgraduate students and staff, this gap of information in the health sector is being addressed.

Shafick Hassan, head of the Radiography and Nursing Department who is heading up the research team said: “The last prevalence study on diabetes was conducted in Mamre in the 1980’s.”

With researchers focusing on the Bellville South community in the Northern Suburbs, findings have already revealed a sharp increase in the prevalence of diabetes, compared to what was reported more than a decade ago.

The researchers spent several months collecting blood samples to measure glucose and cholesterol levels and conducted blood pressure tests on individuals aged between 35 and 65.

Approximately 1000 people had been tested.

“To date we have found the prevalence of diabetes in that community to be much higher than anticipated. Preliminary results indicate a diabetic prevalence of 26.3%,” said Hassan.

The results of the study may also indicate a broader health problem in the population of the Western Cape , which could severely impact on the limited health resources in province.

Research has proved that diabetes is a contributing factor to various health problems, including eye problems, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.

Studies have also linked the rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance ( IGT ) to the global epidemic of obesity and lifestyle changes associated primarily with urbanization.

Hassan said the findings of this study will provide vital information, which will be useful for national and provincial health planners when planning intervention strategies for conditions related to diabetes and future health services needs.

More importantly, he said information on this study must be disseminated appropriately.

Currently the lead researchers, which include CPUT’s Dr Tandi Matsha and Stellenbosch University Professor Rajiv Erasmus, are discussing the findings with stakeholders in the health sector.

The researchers, who are linked to the Oxidative Stress Research Group, which is based in the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, are also in the process of writing up a number of journal articles on this study.

They had also presented data on the study at several conferences.

Hassan said the research is ongoing and that plans are in place to extend the study to other communities in the Western Cape .

By Candes Keating, Marketing and Communication Department

Written by CPUT News
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Hundreds of qualifications were conferred during the CPUT Spring Graduation on the Bellville Campus today.

The event is one of the highlights of the CPUT academic calendar and provides the university with an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the achievements of students from all faculties.

During this year’s Spring Graduation CPUT will confer 989 diplomas and degrees, including 45 Masters and Doctoral degrees, in two ceremonies on the Bellville Campus.

This was the first graduation which Chancellor Thandi Modise presided over since her installation as CPUT chancellor, and marks a new era for the university.

Modise, who is also Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, has succeeded former Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, who was the inaugural chancellor at CPUT.

The morning ceremony saw qualifications being conferred to students who completed academic programmes in the faculties of Applied Science, Business and Management Sciences, Education, Health and Wellness Sciences as well as Informatics and Design.

Acting Vice-chancellor, Dr Chris Nhlapo, told the audience that the day represents several years of study which required sacrifices not only from the graduates but also from their partners and family members.

“The number of our graduates show that we are making great strides in research and innovation,” said Nhlapo.

In the afternoon ceremony graduates in the Faculty of Engineering will be capped, including 21 Masters and Doctoral degrees.  

Written by Kwanele Butana
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During the week preceding the Installation of the first Chancellor of CPUT, the public is invited to attend the inaugural addresses of Prof Dhiro Gihwala and Prof Simeon Davies.

Both staff members received ad hominem promotions to the post of Full Professor in June 2008. Prof Gihwala serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences. Prof Davies is the Head of the Department of Sports Management.

Prof Dhiro Gihwala
""Science, Technology and the New Universities in South Africa""
Date: 26 August 2008, Time: 18:30 for 19:00
Venue: Auditorium, Bellville Campus of CPUT, Symphony Way, Bellville

Prof Simeon Davies
""Prioritising and Augmenting Research at a University of Technology""
Date: 28 August 2008, Time: 18:30 for 19:00
Venue: Auditorium, Bellville Campus of CPUT, Symphony Way, Bellville

Seating for both events is limited. Those who wish to attend are requested to RSVP the Marketing and Communication Department at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Friday, 22 August 2008.

For the event on 26 August, please use the subject heading ""RSVP Prof Gihwala.""
For the event on 28 August, please use the subject heading ""RSVP Prof Davies.""

Written by CPUT News
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Dr Terrence Carter, Deputy Director-General at the National Department of Health, congratulated the graduates of the Health and Wellness Sciences for formally joining the ranks of the medical profession.

Addressing last night’s graduation ceremony as a guest speaker at the Bellville Campus, Carter said being a health worker is a unique privilege to serve humanity since many people still do not have access to basic health services.

He challenged the graduates to fulfil the World Health Organization’s declaration that recognizes the attainment of the highest level of health services as a human right.

 He told them that putting the interests of their patients first was a noble principle and encouraged them to strive to be the best they can be.

“Be the best of whatever you are, it is not by size that you win or fail,” he told the packed hall.

Graduates Abongile Nomafeje and Siphosonke Nothwala said the experience was life-changing for them.

“It feels like I am born again, because initially this looked impossible. It’s not about how fast it could happen, but the fact that it has happened eventually that excites me the most,” said Abongile.

“Despite the struggles at home and at school I managed to achieve this, it doesn’t feel like myself but as from tonight I know everything is possible,”said Siphosonke.

This morning hundreds of diplomas and degrees will be conferred to graduates in the Business Faculty and the ceremony will be addressed by Joel Dikgole, CEO of the Wholesale & Retail SETA as a guest speaker.  

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Fairies, unicorns and even a minion were among the participants of this year’s CPUT Women’s Day Fun Run.

The rain couldn’t deter scores of CPUT women and a few men from participating in the event, which started at the stadium on the Bellville campus.

The participants joined in a warm-up session before Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo, officially started the race.

Dr Nicole Brooks, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, was the winning runner while Francis Koordom from Cleaning Services was the first walker to cross the finish line.

The winner in the Craziest Outfit category was Deidre de Jongh from the Department Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering who made quite an impression with her Christmas-themed outfit.

The winners and all participants who dressed up in costumes for the event received prizes.

The event was made possible through the co-operation of the following departments: Marketing and Communication, Human Capital, Infrastructure Development and Facilities Management, The Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Health and Safety, Somatology and the Cape Town Hotel School.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The teaching excellence of a lecturer who strives to get more matric learners from disadvantaged backgrounds into university was acknowledged during a recent awards ceremony.

The Emergency Medical Sciences (EMS) Department’s Dr Kareemah Gamieldien recently won the Faculty Award during the Health and Wellness Sciences Faculty’s annual Teaching Excellence Awards.

Gamieldien, with the help of her department, initiated a community project at her alma mater, Wynberg High School, in a bid to boost matric Life Sciences results through a revision programme. 

“This is a project that is very dear to my heart. The reality is that students who come from socio-economic disadvantaged backgrounds automatically are disadvantaged in the education system. I asked myself one day ‘What can EMS Basic Sciences do to help these matriculants qualify to even apply for medical or science programmes’,” said Gamaldien.

She approached the school and offered the support of EMS Basic Sciences to their Life sciences matric students in preparation for their final exams. Ten second-year physiology students came along as tutors.

“After three sessions the results were unexpectedly exceptional,” said Gamieldien who added that they were now waiting for the matric pupils’ final results to assess the impact of the project.

She acknowledged the Marketing and Communication Department and the Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning for their support.

Two Departmental Awards were also announced and both winners are from the Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences. They are Diagnostic Ultrasound lecturer Merlisa Kemp and clinical instructor Heidi Thomas.

“What I tell students is that sometimes your circumstances mould you but you shouldn’t let your circumstances define who you are,” said Kemp.

Thomas said the focus of her teaching was on active participation where everyone is involved in the learning process, peer engagement and literature.

Prof Penelope Engel-Hills, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, said it has been a great year for the faculty: “I thank each and every one of you because our students come out of here ready to go into healthcare practice because they have such competent teachers and practitioners.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT staff and students have once again made a valuable contribution to the success of the annual Jazz on the Rocks Festival, which was held at the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve on the West Coast.

The festival not only boosts tourism to the Paternoster area but also helps to empower young people through skills development.
Last year CPUT’s Town and Regional Planning and Architecture Department joined forces with Camissa Solutions to train youngsters from the area in mapping skills and the project was extended this year.

Jacqui Scheepers, manager of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit at CPUT, says that this year staff and students from the Faculties of Informatics and Design and Health and Wellness Sciences worked hand in hand with Camissa Solutions.

Town and Regional Planning students trained local youth in the art of map reading. which they would use to assist guests find their plots during the festival, while Emergency Medical Care students worked in shifts to support the medical teams on site.

“Together with the Service-Learning Unit, lecturers like Nicholas Pinfold (Department of Town and Regional Planning), Navindhra Naidoo, Llizane Mcdonald and Daglin Thomas (Department of Emergency Medical Sciences) were instrumental in the launch, coordination and implementation of the project on site before and during the festival. In partnership with Camissa Solutions, the next phase will include follow up training sessions with unemployed West Coast youth.”

She said the students did CPUT proud with their professional attitude and theoretical knowledge of their disciplines. Clarence Ford from Camissa Solutions looks forward to a continued fruitful relationship with CPUT.

“Together with CPUT we are building communities.”

Dale Sparrow, a fourth-year EMS student says the project was a great experience for final year students to develop their managerial skills.

“Setting up a medical unit in the field is an important aspect for our future qualification,” he says.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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First-year Health and Wellness Sciences students were warmly welcomed to the faculty during a fun-filled morning at the CPUT Sports Fields in Bellville recently.

Acting Dean of the Faculty, Dr Nicole Brooks, said having all of the first-year’s together on one campus was a first for the faculty.

“You have made an excellent choice in selecting CPUT for your studies. We are the leading university of technology in South Africa,” said Brooks.

“As a faculty, our vision is to be a proud African, technology-driven faculty, taking the lead in relevant health and wellness education, in research and innovation in response to the provincial, national and global socio-economic imperatives.”

She said an education in the health sciences was an excellent career choice.

“Our programmes are designed to encourage each student to reach their full potential. “

Students were invited to discuss any issues with their lecturers and programme co-ordinators.

“Please don’t allow any problem to become too big. It is our pleasure to help you to succeed,” said Brooks.

The students were introduced to the seven departments in the faculty and were encouraged to reach out to the student assistants as well as to the peer mentors in the faculty.

The guest speaker was postdoctoral research fellow, Dr Cecil Weale, who motivated the students to stay on track and reminded them “that you have what it takes to finish your course”.

The morning concluded with an exciting scavenger hunt before students were treated to lunch.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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More than 130 Department of Emergency Medical Sciences students will receive monthly donations of food packs and toiletries from the Gift of the Givers Foundation.

The founder of the humanitarian aid group, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, visited the Department recently, where the first monthly donations were handed over.

The head of the department, Lloyd Christopher, said that 136 students who need support while they undergo rescue training off-campus would benefit from the donations.

Dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Prof Thandi Matsha, thanked the Foundation for their support.

“We have students from very different backgrounds, and this donation will go a long way. We look forward to further working with the Gift of the Givers on this initiative.”

Sooliman said the foundation was aware of many students' challenges and was happy that the university reached out to them for support.

“When you have management that worries about students and the well-being of those under them, it’s a good sign for the country.”

The donation is the first initiative under the Department’s Adopt-a-Medic programme, which seeks to assist students.

“This initiative is more targeted at individuals who want to help a student. This help could come in several ways. It could be financial, moral support, or funding for a conference and could come from industry, alumni or small businesses, for example,” said Christopher.

The Department has a long-standing relationship with the organisation. Staff from the department have assisted with disaster relief responses, locally and abroad, while Gift of the Givers has supported some of the Department’s Service-Learning projects.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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

Each campus boasts unique characteristics and functions.

Bellville Campus

This campus is the administrative hub of the institution and is home to the following:

• The world renowned French South African Institute of Technology, which produced and launched Africa’s first nanosatellite.
• The Electrical Engineering Building, which is CPUT’s largest teaching and research facility.

Cape Town Campus

The city’s most popular landmark, Table Mountain, is a backdrop to this campus. It accommodates the following:

• The university’s largest faculty, the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.
• The Faculty of Informatics and Design.
• A select number of courses offered by the Faculties of Applied Sciences and Health and Wellness Sciences are offered on the campus.

Wellington Campus

This campus is situated in the centre of the Boland town and has become known for:

• Producing teachers trained in the Afrikaans medium.
• Training the next generation of leaders in the agriculture sector.

Mowbray Campus

The Faculty of Education recently expanded is facilities with building work completed last year. This campus is renowned for:

• Annually producing the largest number of teaching graduates in the Western Cape.
• The state-of-the-art Human Performance Laboratory and the Centre for International Teacher Education.

Athlone Campus, Worcester and George satellite campuses

• These three campuses produce nursing staff for the country’s health sector.

Granger Bay Campus

The stylish Hotel School Restaurant is the main attraction of this campus, which overlooks Robben Island. It also houses the following:

• The renowned Cape Town Hotel School.
• The Maritime Engineering Department and the Survival Centre.

Groote Schuur and Tygerberg Hospital

• The Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences is located on the premises of Groote Schuur Hospital in Observatory.
• The Dental Sciences Department is based at the Tygerberg Hospital and gives students the opportunity to work directly with patients and medical staff.

Roeland Street Building

• Students and staff from Journalism, Photography, Public Relations and Multimedia call this campus home.

Media City

• 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-cput/cput-at-a-glance/contact-details

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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A medical student who was displaced from her home country of Sudan was recently welcomed to CPUT, ahead of the Ubuntu 2024 Conference.

Sara Idrees, a fourth-year student at the University of Gezira, was on a two-week Student Network Organisation exchange and was hosted by the four local universities, CPUT, the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town.

The four institutions co-hosted the Ubuntu 2024 conference with the Western Cape Department of Health, Rural WONCA and The Network: Towards Unity for Health.

This year’s conference was hosted at UWC from 10 to 13 September and the theme was People, Place and Policy for Community Wellness.

During her stay at CPUT, Sara was hosted by the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences.

She said that after the conflict in Sudan she and her family were displaced and now live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“We are displaced in Riyadh for about seven months now. The first few months was a bit difficult and everything was new.”

Her university opened an external branch in Riyadh and other cities to facilitate the education process for students.

Sara said visiting CPUT “was a beautiful experience” in terms of education and culture.

Dr Lizel Hudson, Work-Integrated Learning and Language Coordinator in the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, who hosted Sara, said they went to the small towns of Gouda, Saron and Porterville in the Boland, and the trip included visits to centres in Saron. They also went to the West Coast towns of Vredenburg, Saldanha Bay and Langebaan. Hudson said it was a “rich personal and professional experience, setting the scene for the conference with a very apt theme of People, Place, Policy and Community”.

Hudson said Sara was selected to spend time learning about rural and community health in South African communities, cultural norms and traditions, in addition to their local health systems, beliefs and habits.

She met with community members and patients from three organisations: Community home-based care and a soup kitchen facilitated by the non-profit organisation NorSA and a visit to the elderly at the Badisa, Percy Bilton Centre.

“The West Coast leg of the visit was to Siyabonga Care Village – an emotional trip where tears rolled freely from our eyes. Under the guidance and leadership of Ms Chrisna Du Plessis, this facility gives a whole new meaning to care.

“Documenting these activities in a linear manner seams easy and straightforward, yet the observations and emotions were difficult, uneasy and shook me to the core personally. The people we met, having to operate and deliver services in mostly difficult situations ‘underscored’ by often difficult to understand policies, are true angels!”

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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Prospective students are invited to come and explore CPUT’s exciting 2025 course offering during our annual Open Day on 11 May 2024.

The event will take place at the Bellville Campus. It will showcase our exciting degree and diploma programmes in our six faculties - Applied Sciences, Business and Management Sciences, Engineering & the Built Environment, Education, Health and Wellness Sciences and Informatics and Design.

Whether you want to be a teacher, a journalist, a jewellery designer or a nurse – CPUT has something for everyone ready to kickstart their careers.

Open Day will also allow learners to interact with staff members and students who will be on hand to assist with information.

The event will run from 9:00 to 16:00 and the venues on the Bellville campus will include the Major Sports Halls, the Student Centre, Old Education Building as well as faculty venues.

Written by CPUT News
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