CPUT showcased its diverse research activities on Research Day, held on 28 November 2008.

The event, the first of its kind, celebrated research excellence in order to promote a culture of research at the University. It is envisaged that it will be a regular feature on the CPUT events calendar.

CPUT is rated second among Universities of Technology on the research league tables in respect of research output (after Tshwane University of Technology). It boasts 11 NRF-rated researchers, and invests considerable funding into research activities within faculties and research centres.

Addressing delegates in the Auditorium on the Bellville Campus, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships Dr Chris Nhlapo emphasised the importance of the commercialisation of research, which to date had not been a focus of South African higher institutions. A new CPUT venture would enable researchers to convert their findings into commercial products or services.

“Research should not just end up on library shelves”, said Dr Nhlapo.

CPUT is currently in the process of appointing a Director of Technology Transfer and Innovation, who will oversee the commercialisation process, as well as a Manager of Commercialisation. CPUT has also set up an Innovation Board to evaluate research conducive to commercialisation. This should ensure CPUT’s leadership in technology and innovation in Africa, according to Dr Nhlapo.

Director of Research at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, Dr Pieter van Breda, applauded CPUT for its research activities, noting that research thrived within a strong research culture and ethos, coupled with an effective research office. He encouraged CPUT academics to focus on relevant research: “(Research) must make the world a better place.” He also emphasised the integration of research with technology and innovation.

Zena Scholtz briefly outlined the importance of women in research at CPUT, focusing on the establishment of the Women in Research Association earlier in 2008. Assoc Prof Liz van Aswegen analysed CPUT subsidy-generating research outputs from 2005 to 2007.

The afternoon programme showcased research within each of CPUT’s six faculties, concluding with a presentation by Mr Mahlubi Mabizela, Director of Higher Education and Development Support at the Department of Education (DoE). In his outline of DoE research funding policy, he noted that many institutions were losing subsidy funding through incorrect or incomplete reporting, especially of conference proceedings.

The day concluded with the presentation of awards to individuals who had demonstrated research excellence, based on work completed between 2005 and 2007.

• The platinum award for industry funding in excess of R1 million went to Assoc Prof Oscar Philander of the Engineering Faculty, who brought in funding in excess of R5 million.
• The platinum award for the most completed Master’s and Doctoral candidates supervised went to Prof André Slabbert of the Business Faculty.
• The platinum award for the highest number of DoE publication subsidy units went to Prof Theo Haupt of the Engineering Faculty.

An exhibition of student and staff research posters was held outside the auditorium. Awards were given to the top three posters in the staff and student categories.

• The prize for best poster in the staff category went to Snyman Ohlhoff of the Department of Tourism Management in the Faculty of Business.
• The prize for best poster in the student category went to Ilse Nadia Frederichs and Maricel Keyser of the Department of Food Technology in the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

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Photograph: Prof André Slabbert receives the platinum award for the most completed Master’s and Doctoral candidates supervised.

Written by CPUT News
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CPUT researchers are making the institution proud.

From clinching millions in research funding to inventing new products, the efforts of our researchers has secured CPUT’s place as one of the leading South African institution’s for cutting-edge research and innovation.

This year, researchers’ efforts were acknowledged and celebrated at Research Day, held on the Cape Town Campus.

Speaking at the event, guest speaker Dr Andrew Kaniki, says it is important to celebrate excellence at a higher education institution.

ACHIEVER: Prof Charles Allen-Ile from the Faculty of Business received the Gold Award for postgraduate supervision

“This recognition of achievement is a clear indication that researchers are committed to the intellectual project,” says Kaniki, who is the Director of Knowledge Fields and Development at the National Research Foundation.

Kaniki also encouraged researchers to work towards becoming rated or improving their current rating.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnership, Dr Chris Nhlapo, says this year researchers have produced quality research results.

Over the past several years research output at CPUT has more than tripled, says Nhlapo. The university has also registered a large number of patents and registered a company.

SUPPORT: Members of the Research Department who are responsible for organising the annual Research Day, with Director Dr Tembeka Mpako-Ntusi (left)

Nhlapo says with the roll-out of the Research and Innovation blueprint activities with these themes will continue to improve.

Director of Research, Dr Tembeka Mpako-Ntusi, also applauded CPUT researchers.

“Our researchers continue to make us proud by their efforts, breaking through frontiers to new heights of knowledge,” she says.

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 researchers have had an excellent year - from clinching top research grants to inventing new products, our researchers have established themselves as leaders in their respective fields.

Their sterling work was recognised and celebrated at the institution’s annual Research Day, which took place at the Cape Town Campus.

CPUT Vice-Chancellor, Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga commended the researchers for their contribution to growing research at the university.

Several years ago, the institution had fewer than 10 National Research Foundation-rated researchers and today boasts more than 30 rated researchers and a thriving research environment.

The university has also established a large number of specialised research centres and boasts three Research Chairs. A large number of researchers have also invented new products.

Mazwi-Tanga says CPUT researchers can be assured of continued support from the university.

An annual event, Research Day allowed researchers to network and also to listen to various presentations on research being carried out by their colleagues. However, the highlight of the day was the coveted research awards.

Awards were given in the following areas – Research Publication, Postgraduate Supervision and Industry Funding.

Research publication

Postgraduate supervision

Industry funding

By Candes Keating

Photograph by Clive Galant

Written by CPUT News
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The Research Directorate at CPUT celebrated research excellence at its annual Research Day on 4 December 2009. The event, which included an awards ceremony and poster exhibition, attracted a number of respected academics from both CPUT and other institutions of higher learning.

While praising the high quality research that has been produced by our researchers, many speakers voiced concerns about the decline of research output in South Africa and suggested ways that universities could confront this decline.

Prof Bongani Mayosi, Head of the Medicine Department at the University of Cape Town, stated that one can’t be an academic without being a researcher. Looking at our country’s share of publications, Prof Mayosi said in 1993 South Africa was above Argentina, Greece, New Zealand and Turkey, but those countries overtook South Africa during the period 1995 to 2000.

“We have not been reproducing ourselves. We have not been training new scientists. In 1990, 6% of the researchers who published were under 30 years and 2% were over 60 years,” he said.

Prof Mayosi, who was recently awarded the Order of Mapungubwe by President Jacob Zuma, said the reasons for this were related to lack of a national planning strategy, lack of infrastructure and lack of well-trained people. “You’ve got to build laboratories; you can’t rely on hospital facilities for research because these are meant for the delivery of a service. He said in a report to be released in January that they are calling for a national strategy.

While training as a cardiologist, Prof Mayosi decided to be “a doctor who can solve problems”. He published three papers during his studies. He said there was a point in his career when he published about 15 papers per annum. “People think once they get their PhDs they’re done and can now get a good job; that’s only the beginning. There are no shortcuts to building good researchers. It takes 10 to 15 years to make your mark,” he said.

Dr Chris Nhlapo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, said that at CPUT should not only be “at the heart of technology in Africa”, but that we should strive to be the heart of technology in the world.

“Some people say we are actually teachers and not researchers, we need to change that. We need to have at least two A-rated researchers come 2011. We need a more extensive, broad based approach to innovation,” he said.

Marlon Parker, a researcher at the Faculty of Informatics and Design, spoke about reconstructing communities through research and innovation, thereby alluding to his research which involved gangsters. Parker said, “We took the worst of the worst. If they can transform, everybody could transform. We taught them and they in turn taught the community. They taught people who used to fear them”.

Other speakers during the day included Sibongile Sowazi of the National Research Foundation, Prof Robert van Zyl of the French South African Institute of Technology, and Dr Sharhidd Taliep and Prof Simeon Davies of the Business Faculty, who delivered a speech on ‘The power of sport research to change the world’.

At the end of the day, prizes were awarded to researchers who performed well and projects that generated funds in excess of a million rand.

• Click here to view a list of award winners.
• Click here to view a list of poster winners.

By Thami Nkwanyane

Written by CPUT News
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From publishing research papers to embarking on innovative studies, CPUT researchers have made the institution proud.

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed by the university, who recently celebrated their activities at the annual Research Day, which was held at the Mowbray Campus.

Vice-Chancellor, Dr Prins Nevhutalu, commended the researcher and says the university has surpassed its own research targets, with 23% of staff holding doctoral qualifications and 35 holding ratings from the National Research Foundation.

He says research activities were important as the university had embarked on a drive to go from a good to a great institution.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Dr Chris Nhlapo, highlighted the university’s Research and Innovation Blueprint, an innovative document that plots to the way forward for research and innovation activities at CPUT.

Nhlapo emphasised the concept of research uptake, a process which sees the results of research turned into a patent, product or service, through innovation and technology.

CPUT also awarded the university’s top researchers, supervisors and industry funding recipients for 2013.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Research excellence and success will be celebrated during CPUT’s annual Research Day tomorrow.

The event at which the university will showcase its diverse range of research activities will be held in the Major Sports Hall on the Bellville Campus from 09H00.

This event is one of the highlights on the CPUT calendar and was first celebrated at CPUT in 2008 in order to promote a culture of research at the University.

CPUT researchers will be recognised for their contributions to the body of knowledge from publishing research papers to registering patents and even launching business companies.

Researchers who are newly-rated by the National Research Foundation will also be acknowledged during Research Day.

The highlight of the day will be the coveted research awards for research publication, postgraduate supervision and raising the most industry funding.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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The outstanding work of CPUT’s researchers were celebrated during an awards ceremony which formed part of the institution’s annual Research Day.

Three years of research successes (2015 to 2017), including NRF ratings, were celebrated at the event which was held in the Auditorium on the Bellville Campus.

The theme of the day was Celebrating Research Excellence and Success.

Prof Marshall Sheldon, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, said the successes would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication and commitment of staff and students and she acknowledged the support to researchers by the Research Directorate.

“If our research doesn’t translate into something that makes an impact in our society, in our government, in the problems and challenges that we face, then we have to rethink what we’re doing.”
CPUT has 43 NRF rated researchers and plans to increase this number through a range of initiatives.

Awards were made in three categories, Research Publication, Postgraduate Supervision and Industry Funding. The platinum award winners per category and year were:

• Research Publication

2015: Prof Chux Iwu (Business & Management Sciences)
2016: Prof Liesel Hibbert (Education)
2017: Prof Bohua Sun (Engineering & the Built Environment)

• Postgraduate Supervision

2015: Prof Sean Pather (RTI-Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships)
2016: Prof Johannes Cronje (Informatics and Design)
2017: Prof Rajendra Chetty (Education)

• Prof Tandi Matsha (Health & Wellness Sciences) scored a hat trick in the industry funding category by winning the platinum award in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The diverse range of research activities at the university were showcased in the Major Sports Hall.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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