To train novice researchers to become accomplished publishers, the Department of Management and Project Management launched the Journal of Leadership and Management Studies (JOLMS) at the Suites Hotel.

The recently launched multidisciplinary journal is a sequel to the annual Leadership and Management in Project-driven Industries South Africa (Lamipisa) Conference which the department has been hosting since 2013.

All the paper contributions accepted for Lamipisa 2013 were peer reviewed and in agreement with the authors, some articles were selected and published in the current issue of JOLMS.

JOLMS Editor-in-Chief, Dr Larry Jowah, said the journal has 35 contributors from various parts of the world including four from CPUT.

Jowah announced that a second issue will be released in November/December and that after the third issue in February the department will apply to the Department of Higher Education and Training for accreditation of both the conference and journal.

He thanked all the staff members who made the journal possible.

Dr Chris Nhlapo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology,Innovation and Partnerships, congratulated the department and said the quality of the journal is unbelievable.

Nhlapo says that in the decade ending in 2012, CPUT’s average growth rate in overall research output was ranked second in the Universities of Technology sector.

He says CPUT has a young generation of scholars, between the ages of 35 and 44, when compared to other universities whose scholars are generally in their 50s.

Acting HOD Angela Buys said the conferences and the journal gave the department’s research image a major boost.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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CPUT recently hosted the 2^nd International Conference of the Leadership & Management in Projects Driven Industries in South Africa (Lamipisa) at the Cape Town Campus.

Some of the topics discussed by academics included the management of mega projects focusing on social development such as South Africa’s National Development Plan, non-governmental development organizations, community participation and entrepreneurship.

The four-day conference was organized by the Department of Management and Project Management and saw scores of academics in management and leadership presenting research papers.

Addressing the conference CPUT Vice-chancellor, Dr Prins Nevhutalu, encouraged the delegates to invite industry role players to their future conferences in order to become more attuned to world trends adding that as a career-focused institution, CPUT should continuously build rapport with industry leaders.

He emphasized the importance of research outputs stressing that the conference resonated with the university’s goal of becoming a great university.

“Research is fundamental to our journey towards greatness,” he said.

About 50 papers was presented by academics from Germany, India, Uganda, Nigeria, Zimbabwe as well as various parts of South Africa.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Delegates attending a conference which interrogated models to end poverty on the continent were so inspired they decided to launch a bank. 

As a result of the theme of this year’s LAMIPISA Conference, “Modelling Africa out of Chronic Poverty”, the organisers have made use of South African legislation and her people’s culture of using stokvels as a savings vehicle to launch the LAMIPISA Cooperative Banking project.

To launch the bank, the law requires a minimum of 200 members with a common bond to raise R1million amongst themselves.

According to Irshaad Desai, one of the conference’s organisers and a lecturer in the Department of Management and Project Management, 60 delegates joined the bank during the conference, followed by a further 20 people afterwards.

“Collectively, these roughly 80 people represent roughly 300 people,” said Desai.

He added that members of the public who intend to join the bank may register their interest on this link and they will be invited to the bank’s next information session.

This year’s LAMIPISA Conference was held on the District Six campus during September. It was attended by delegates from Africa and Palestine who presented their research papers and received valuable feedback from the attentive audience.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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