Spain, Paris and Italy – These are just some of the destinations a group of South Africa university staffers and students can expect to jet-off to later this year.

Through the Erasmus Mundus Action 2 for South Africa (ema2sa) programme, a group of 52 South Africans will be selected to complete their master, doctoral or short study programmes at a European University.

Funded by the European Commission, the programme aims to develop and improve the skill base at South African universities.

Recently a delegation from Erasmus Mundus visited South Africa to promote the next call for applications and spent a morning interacting with CPUT staffers.

The coordinator of the programme, An Hunt, described the scholarship as a “win, win situation for everyone involved.”

She said the programme not only allows South Africans to improve their qualifications but also provides opportunities for networking, which could lead to collaborations in various areas in the higher education sector.

Director of International Affairs, Merle Hodges also urged CPUT staffers to apply for the scholarships.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to increase your qualifications and also expand your horizon and become a global thinker,” said Hodges.

On completion of the study programme recipients are required to return to South Africa and plough back into their institutions.

Last year several CPUT staff members were awarded scholarships, with some selected to complete their master degrees and others for short stay academic programmes.

Head of CPUT’s Biomedical Sciences Department Prof Johan Esterhuyse, was one of the lucky recipients of a scholarship, which saw him visit Antwerp University in Belgium and Han University College in Holland.

The visits enabled him to benchmark the new Medical Science Degree against similar international options.

Prof Esterhuyse said South African universities are in dire need of highly qualified academics and urged fellow staff members to improve their qualifications.

“Make use of this opportunity,” said Prof Esterhuyse.

For more information see www.ema2sa.eu

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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A group of five Mechanical Engineering students from CPUT recently collaborated with ten students from Den Haag University in the Netherlands on a project to develop new ideas for low-cost, energy-efficient housing.

The project, titled ‘Rondavelopment’ was the outcome of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between CPUT and Den Haag in February this year.

The South African and Dutch students worked together in the Netherlands at the beginning of the project for two weeks. They then separated in order to work from their home countries, but continued to interact as a group, communicating and holding group discussions via electronic media.

The final project was put together at CPUT, where the Den Haag students combined their efforts with the CPUT group, successfully completing the project over the final two weeks.

The group delivered its final presentation to a panel representing both universities on 26 June 2009.

The students used the concept of the traditional South African rondavel (circular hut) as a starting point for designing low environmental impact systems for insulation, heating, architecture, cooling, water supply, waste management, ventilation and electricity provision.

They investigated how the energy-saving properties of traditional materials used in traditional Southern African housing could be best utilised. They noted that a thatched roof provides natural insulation and proposed installing a ‘rock bed heating system,’ in which air is pumped through a rock bed, causing the rocks to temporarily retain warmth.

They also proposed using wind turbines for electricity supply, as these can be produced from recycled metal and easily assembled by the structure’s inhabitants. Ceramic water purifiers were suggested for water purification.

The MoU between CPUT and Den Haag was initiated by Mechanical Engineering Head of Department Tjaart van der Schyff and Den Haag Lecturer Prof Johan Waudstra after the two academics met in Cape Town and discovered that their institutions had similar interests in technological innovation and student development.

The MoU was then drawn up by the Office of International Affairs at CPUT who also provided accommodation and transport for the Dutch students when they visited Cape Town during the final stages of the project.

The Cape Town students’ research was supervised by Mechanical Engineering Lecturer Fareed Ismail.

Van der Schyff extended his thanks to the International Office, CPUT management and Dean of Engineering Dr Oswald Franks for their support of the project.

“The project exposed our students to international and first world education,” he said.

“It assisted with benchmarking our institution to international standards.”

Van der Schyff also noted that the experience had helped alter the perceptions of the visiting students towards universities in developing countries.

“Some of them want to return to South Africa to do their Master’s degrees,” he said.

Merle Hodges, Head of the Office of International Affairs said that as many local students are unable to travel, such ‘internationalisation at home projects’ are a tangible way to introduce internationalisation into the curriculum.

“International students are supported to enter communities by local students, who through this collaboration can participate in adapting local knowledge to suit international criteria,"" she said.

There has been interest from the Netherlands in sponsoring the building of the energy-efficient rondavels in Zambia , however, Van der Schyff noted that further research will need to be done on the initial designs before this can be achieved.

The Mechanical Engineering Department hopes that the Rondavelopment project will be the first of yearly collaborative efforts between Den Haag and CPUT.

By Ilana Abratt

Written by CPUT News

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CPUT has officially launched an Erasmus Mundus Alumni Chapter.

The Erasmus Mundus programme offers South African staff and students the opportunity to complete a Masters, PhD and Post Doc programme with affiliate universities in Europe.

Staff members can also apply for staff visits to investigate aspects related to their work at European universities.

To date, 55 CPUT staff members and students have had the opportunity to improve their qualifications at European Universities.

Director of the Office of International Affairs, Merle Hodges, says the alumni chapter will play a key role in CPUT’s Erasmus Mundus activities.

Apart from providing support to new participants and promoting the programme, alumni can also assist with various studies and reports requested by the European Commission, who funds the programme.

“The EU Commission wants a report on the progress of students and staff who participated in the programme. This is the type of task the alumni can assist with,” says Hodges, who is a joint coordinator of Eurosa, one of the Erasmus Mundus programmes.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Technology and Innovation, Dr Chris Nhlapo, commended the programme and says it has played a key role in supporting staff to improve their qualifications.

Apart from improving qualifications, Nhlapo says the programme has had other positive spin-offs like the successful roll-out of the University’s Medical Laboratory Science qualification.

Former Head of the Biomedical Sciences Department, the late Prof Johan Esterhuyse, who was one of the first recipients of the programme, participated in a staff visit at Antwerp University in Belgium and Han University College in Holland where he had the opportunity to benchmark the new programme against similar international options.

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.

CPUT will participate in a multimillion rand capacity building programme over the next three years.

The University is one of several South Africa universities that have managed to impress decision makers running the European Union funded Erasmus+ Programme.

Director of the Office of International Affairs, Merle Hodges, who oversees the programme at CPUT, says up to now, the Erasmus Mundus programme has largely focused on mobility programmes, which has provided staff and students with the opportunity to complete a Masters, PhD and Post Doc programme with affiliate universities in Europe.

However, the organization has now turned its attention to capacity development in the higher education sector and recently put out an international call for proposals, to which CPUT responded to.

“CPUT has been successful in three capacity building programmes,” says Hodges.

The value of the programmes are approximately R 35 million. 

The capacity programmes include the following: Entrepreneurship, Modernisation and Innovation in South Africa (EMISHA ) ; Internationalisation and Modernisation Programme for Academics, Leaders and Administrators (IMPALA ); and The International Learning Network on Sustainability (LenSin ).

EMISHA aims to enhance innovation capacities by training students, researchers and staff, while IMPALA will focus on internationalization at the four historic disadvantaged institutions, which includes CPUT, the University of Forth Hare, University of Venda and the University of Limpopo.

“This project aspires to develop clear and viable internationalisation strategies within the South African universities to bring them up to par and give them a much needed head start for future international cooperation initiatives,” says Hodges.

As part of the IMPALA programme, South African university staff will be trained in the areas identified.

Hodges says CPUT is the Principal partner and Joint Coordinator of IMPALA.

The LenSin project looks at internationalization, intercultural cross-fertilization and accessibility of higher education by consolidating and empowering a global network called the Learning Network on Sustainability.

Hodges says all the projects are joint initiatives, which will see South African institutions colloborate, with each project coordinated by a European University.

The projects are set to get underway later this year.

*Image courtesy of anankkml at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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.

R15 million has been earmarked to boost internationalisation strategies and resources at four historic disadvantaged institutions in South Africa.

The IMPALA project, short for the Internationalisation and Modernisation Programme for Academics, Leaders and Administrators, forms part of the Erasmus+ Key Action 2: Capacity Building in Higher Education programme, a European Union funded initiative.

CPUT along with the University of Forth Hare, University of Venda and the University of Limpopo have been hand-picked to benefit from the IMPALA project, which is the first initiative of its kind solely targeting international offices at South African intuitions. The European partners who will be assisting with capacity building include the University of Antwerp, University of Bologna, University of Graz, Utrecht Network and the Academic Cooperation Association.

Merle Hodges, the Director of the Office of International Affairs at CPUT, who is also the joint coordinator for IMPALA, says the project was conceptualised after the European partners visited South Africa and saw the need to support the respective international offices in driving internationalisation.

“The international offices are extremely small. There are plus minus four people per office who have to support internationalisation at these institutions,” she says.

Hodges says the project aspires to develop clear and viable internationalisation strategies within South African universities to bring them up to par and give them a much needed head start for future international cooperation initiatives.

“We also want to build a network of European and South African institutions and organisations to respond to the needs in the South African higher education community.”

FOCUS AREAS

Over the next two years the IMPALA project will focus on internationalisation of the curriculum, short-term programmes and summer schools, project writing and management, and development of a mobility toolkit that will help international offices manage international processes.

The first training week will commence in March with 80 staff members from participating institutions, as well as participants from non-partner universities. The training, which will be facilitated by the European and South Africa partners, with follow-up training sessions scheduled for later this year.

Hodges says training will touch on relevant matters, such as decolonization of curriculums in order to produce graduate attributes that will allow individuals to apply their knowledge globally. The summer schools are also an important means for the internationalization of education.

“Summer schools are highly in demand. When professionally organised they can be a suitable way to collect funds from external sources, in particular from tuition fees. The profit can be designated to support the organisation of international activities for the benefit of local students,” says Hodges.

Project writing is another highlight of the IMPALA project and training is targeted at developing a cohort of university staff members who can identify funding opportunities, submit successful applications, develop and implement projects utilising international and local funding.

• CPUT currently has six Erasmus + Capacity Building projects and six Credit Mobility Projects

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.