White or pink flowers? What do sunbirds prefer? This is the research question posed by Dr Sjirk Geerts, a Nature Conservation lecturer at CPUT who is exploring the foraging choices of nectar-feeding birds.

Research exploring the flower colour preference of various bird species is a popular research area abroad with a large amount of work done on hummingbirds in the Americas.

However, Sjirk hopes to expand this area of research on the African continent and his efforts have recently been documented in the journal Evolutionary Ecology.

The study is a first of its kind in Africa and saw Sjirk, along with several research partners, focus on the endemic Orange Breasted Sunbird and an Erica plant species, Erica perspicua, to determine which flower colour sunbirds are most attracted to.

Sjirk is interested in the role birds play in shaping the evolution of the plant species on which they feed and the valuable insight this can provide as drivers of plant diversity.

“You observe these plants with pink and white flowers in the field and you ask yourself what is driving this? And how are these maintained? ”

As part of the study, the team set up an aviary, arranged an even number of pink and white flowers and then let in sunbirds and monitored their movements.

“Once foraging, the birds always went to a pink flower first. However, thereafter they did not select a specific colour flower, but rather selected the closest flower. Minimization of flight distances therefore overrides colour preference ,” he says.

This study also revealed that sunbirds are maintaining the colour polymorphism (more than one flower colour form within a species), but what caused this diversity remains an unanswered question.

“The next step is to look at the genetics of polymorphic Erica species, which will hopefully bring us another step closer in unravelling the reasons for the high plant diversity in the Cape,” says Sjirk.

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.

Being his first experience as a novice researcher presenting at a national conference, Clive Brown is proud to have presented three papers at the South African Education Research Association (SAERA) 9th annual conference, which took place recently.

The SAERA conference themed: Education in Transition: Challenges and Opportunities, was hosted by the Faculty of Education of the University of the Western Cape, at the Two Oceans Aquarium Conference Centre at the V&A Waterfront.

Brown, Faculty of Education Intermediate Phase Teaching Practice Coordinator, who is currently completing a Doctorate in Philosophy at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), regards himself as a novice researcher and submitted three abstracts to the SAERA Local Organising Committee and had all three papers successfully accepted.

The titles of his papers, which are related to his ongoing PhD studies, are as follows:

• Enhancing teacher education quality: Comparative student reflections on well-being (Clive Brown and Prof. Hanlie Dippenaar- Deputy Dean of Education)
• Knowing complexly: Methodological transitions to arts-based representations of educational research (Clive Brown and Prof. Michael Anthony Samuel- UKZN).
• Re-imagining the Teaching Practicum in the new post-COVID era: Developing partnerships in Teacher Education (Clive Brown, Dr Marinda Swart- Stadio and Prof Michael Anthony Samuel- UKZN).

The first paper explored the context of the CPUT through a comparative perspective of two campuses: Wellington and Mowbray. The second paper was part of an international panel looking at arts-based methodologies as an alternative form of representation. It involved panellists from the Mauritius Institute of Education, UKZN, CPUT and a respondent from Nelson Mandela University. The third paper presented a proposal for a national teaching practicum framework. Brown says this framework recommends a coordinated national response involving many stakeholders, such as the Department of Basic Education, Higher Education institutions, schools and the South African Council for Educators. The proposal includes teaching practicum and induction considerations for newly-qualifying and newly-qualified teachers.

He says the papers were well-received and that the commentary on the presentations provided insight into how daily challenges within a local Faculty of Education reverberate with similar needs across other research contexts, suggesting the need for dialogue, collaboration and coordination.

Brown was “honoured” to have co-presented with Prof Michael Anthony Samuel, who, at the Gala dinner, was awarded the SAERA Recognition Award for distinctive contribution towards educational research development. “This award sets benchmarks for the kind of researcher we should all become”.

“This conference was my first experience as a novice researcher presenting at a national conference. It revealed how enriching it was to share my ideas with leading scholars who generously offered critique and redirection for my studies. I encourage other novice researchers to participate in special activities organised by the SAERA organisation to support our development as early career researchers,” he observed.

Brown was particularly struck by how senior research leaders such as Prof Shireen Motala: SARCHI- Chair for Teaching in Learning in Higher Education, Prof Linda Chisolm: Director for Centre for Education Rights and Transformation, Prof Maureen Robinson: SAERA President, Prof Lee Rusznyak: Architect of the Teachers Choices in Action Model, Prof Labby Ramrathan: SAERA former president and Prof Nyna Amin: UKZN Academic Leader: Research contribute willingly to supporting the next generation of younger academics.

“I look forward to my next conferences to continue the networks I have established with various institutions locally and abroad.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Department of Chemical Engineering Senior Lecturer, Dr Mahabubur Rahman Chowdhury, has been appointed as an editorial board member of the prestigious Journal of Frontiers in Micro- and Nano-Scale Sensors.

Being appointed as an editorial board member is a testament to the recognition of Chowdhury’s expertise and quality of work.  The duration of his appointment is two years.  There are no specific set of requirements to be appointed, “it has to do with one's recognition as an expert in the field by his peers”, says Chowdhury.

“This is a prestigious achievement. My research interest and expertise is in the rational design and engineering of functional nanomaterial.”  He also studies the physical chemistry of Nanomaterials, their structural and functional assessment, and their deployment in various applications such as electrochemical biosensors, water treatment, and many more.  

His recent study from his lab was published in one of the top international journals.

Chowdhury's paper on the electrochemical sensor for glucose detection (Binderless Solution-Processed Zn Doped Co3O4 Film on FTO for Rapid and Selective Non‐enzymatic Glucose Detection) was one of the top 25 most downloaded papers in the Journal of Electroanalysis by Wiley.  

“Research is my passion and I do it for the beauty of it.” 

Chowdhury is a highly skilled researcher who has developed the nanomaterial scene from scratch at CPUT. “Because of my research and effort, CPUT has made it to the list of universities that do research in nanomaterials. Before 2014 there was no quantifiable nanomaterial research at CPUT. And in 2020 we published in top journals.

"As an editorial board member, I will make sure the science that goes out through the journal goes through a rigorous process of quality check.”  He says effective time management is the key to his achievement. However, he concedes that the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on everybody, and “we are all adjusting/have adjusted to the new normal”.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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A postgraduate student’s research proposal made an impression at the recent 22nd annual Power and Electricity World Africa 2019 conference, earning him an all-expenses-paid trip to the Philippines.

Elisha’s Indarjit’s presentation was titled Software-defined networking based on Centralized Control for Smart Grid Communication.

Elisha, who is studying towards his Masters in Engineering, said the adjudicators selected his presentation as one of the top three student presentations.

He said Prof Marco Adonis, Deputy Head: Operations, in the Centre for Distributed Power and Electronic Systems, had encouraged him to enter his abstract.

“I am very thankful to God, Dr Adonis and CPUT for giving students the platform to grow and nurture skills that industries seek." 

Elisha will be departing for the Philippines later this month, where he will attend an international conference on power.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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The Genealogical Institute of South Africa (GISA) has donated its research books and entire collection to CPUT Library Services.

GISA was situated in Stellenbosch and before closing down its Board decided to donate the geological collection, consisting of film rolls and apparatus, books, clippings, photographs and reference works.

“This collection belonged to the HSRC between 1971 and 1997 and forms the key collection of GISA,” said Petronella Coreejes-Brink, Co-ordinator: Special Collections at CPUT Libraries.

“The collection fits well and will complement the special collection that already exists within CPUT Libraries, it can thus add a lot of value to the collection of CPUT Libraries.”

Coreejes-Brink added that the collection would form part of the bigger community support collections that the university is starting.

During the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions recently, Dr Andrew Kok, GISA Chairperson, thanked CPUT for raising its hand in keeping the collection.

Kok hailed the state-of-the-art infrastructure in the university’s Wellington Library, where the collection is kept, as well as the staff members dedicated to it.

“People from all over the world can now see it, which was not the case before.”

Dr Elisha Chiware, Director: CPUT Libraries, thanked Kok for conferring custody of the collection upon the university and said CPUT would keep it safe and make it accessible to academics and researchers.

“It [the collection] won’t be used for gaining profit but for advancing the field of genealogy and help members of the public track down their lost loved ones,” said Chiware.

Coreejes-Brink said that in the future they will investigate further partnerships with other universities that have similar collections.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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CPUT’S Quantum Physics Group has won a Project Progress Award for their outstanding headway over the last year.

The CSIR National Laser Centre’s Rental Pool Programme awarded the Group the award two weeks ago at their annual review meeting.

The Centre runs a laser equipment access programme, funded by the Department of Science and Technology, to make laser systems, laser diagnostic equipment and laser laboratories available to higher education institutions. Programme participants deliver annual progress reports as part of the evaluation process to determine whether project funding continues in the next financial year.
Quantum Physics Group founder/leader Dr Kessie Govender was in Pretoria two weeks ago to deliver his progress report, but did not attend the meeting’s Monday night dinner. So, he was surprised to be met the next morning by people congratulating him for winning an award.

“I was blown away, I was speechless actually,” said Govender, who lectures in the Electrical Engineering Department. “I do the work because I enjoy it, not for the accolades. The award is for being able to achieve something that very few people in the country have been successful doing.”

The first time Govender applied for this particular Programme in 2015 he was initially rejected with the Quantum Physics Group’s goal of developing local components for quantum computing deemed as too difficult.

He succeeded the next year though and the Group learned to not only use the equipment but expanded their electronic set-up. They made a breakthrough in October last year when they successfully cooled down a cloud of rubidium atoms to around 17 micro Kelvins, which is approximately - 273 degrees Celcius below zero.

The Group consists of doctoral students Adrian Wyngaard and Rory Pentz; Master’s students Victory Opeolu and James Lawrence; and BTech student Jordan Scarrott. Govender says this year the Group will be exploring publishing in various journals and publications and also starting work on an atomic clock. Govender is also part of a group of researchers working on A Quantum Technology Roadmap for South Africa, a proposal they want to make to the Department of Science and Technology on the way forward for the country’s quantum technology researchers.

Written by Theresa Smith
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Provides coverage for the Applied Sciences and Engineering Faculties and the Wellington Campus.

A recent trip to Mendel University in the Czech Republic has furnished Oenology lecturer Anton Nel with an expanded sample selection for his doctoral studies.

Nel, who is a lecturer at the Department of Agriculture’s new campus and also manages the laboratories in Wellington, is working on his PhD thesis about pinking (which is when white wine develops a pink colouration upon exposure to air).

His research visit was part of a collaborative agreement CPUT has with Mendel University in Brno, meant to expand on common research interests in the wine industry, explained Associate Professor Francois Lategan of the Department of Agriculture.

“Together with Mendel University we have developed a platform of collaboration in which research and curriculum development features as strong pillars. He went to do empirical research to further this component,” said Lategan.

Nel started his thesis, Pinking of South African Sauvignon blanc (Vitis vinifera L), research in 2016 and hopes to finish by the end of this year. One part of the study applies directly to what the winemaker can or cannot do about pinking while the scientific part tries to identify the compound that causes the effect.

“There’s a novel new part to this study. Does the pinking influence the sensory evaluation of the wine? In my studies I have found that people could identify a difference on smell, but when they tasted it they couldn’t tell the difference,” he said.

He tested more than 160 Czech wines form the four different sub-regions (Znojemská, Mikulovska, Velkopavlovická & Slovacka) and found that more than 50% showed the pinking potential: “And, they didn’t even know it, so for them that was an eye-opener.”

In addition to delivering six lectures at Mendel University during his visit, Nel used their Oenology laboratories to analyse the samples he collected of 11 different cultivars (for his South African samples he concentrated only on the Sauvignon blanc cultivar).

Nel did travel around as he collected his samples from wine cellars and got the impression that the Czech wine industry is not that different to the South African one, albeit it with a smaller commercial component. On the teaching side Mendel University’s Oenology programme falls under their Horticulture Department, but their teaching methods, lecturers and students were very familiar to him.

As for future collaboration plans, doing research at Mendel University has opened up all sorts of potential study avenues: “Immediately there were questions out of the study and immediately there were project planned, so there is scope for more cooperation. As soon as that comes online, more will develop from it,” said Nel.

Written by Theresa Smith

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Provides coverage for the Applied Sciences and Engineering Faculties and the Wellington Campus.

CPUT has been awarded more than R3 million in research grants after 20 researchers successfully applied for Thuthuka grants from the National Research Foundation (NRF). 

Fifteen of the recipients are new Thuthuka grant holders while the remaining five have previously received grants that have now been continued.

The 15 new grant holders are: Dr Mahabubur Chowdury, Dr Stanton Hector, Dr Anthony Obilana, Innocentia Erdogan, Lizel Hudson, Merlisa Kemp, Thubalakhe Masango, Neo Motang, Makiwe Nkohla, Dr Moses Basitere, Sune Henning, Dr Velaphi Msomi, Dr Thandikile Mthethwa, Dr Zayd Waghid, and Dr Merrill Wicht.

The continuation grant holders are Dr Kessie Govender, Dr Oluwaseun Oyekola, Shameema Raja, Ncediwe Tsolekile and Dr Oscar Koopman.
The Thuthuka Funding Instrument is aimed at supporting emerging researchers.

“As a University of Technology CPUT comprises by and large as an early-career researcher base, hence the support of up and coming researchers is key to the mandate of the Research Directorate – a key entity in the portfolio of the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research Technology Innovation and Partnerships. To this end, Prof Dina Burger, Director: Research, provided clear instruction in 2018 that the number of Thuthuka grants obtained from the NRF by CPUT researchers must be increased. We are therefore extremely proud of the achievement, in that of the 26 applications submitted to NRF by CPUT 20 were approved and awarded. This totalled over R3 million during the last Thuthuka call, said Research Grants Manager, Tania Holmes-Watts.

She said the increase in grants was a team effort which took due diligence with the quality control process executed ahead of the submissions.

She acknowledged the Research Grants Management Unit team members in the Research Directorate for the support provided to applicants.

“This surely demonstrates that CPUT has great research potential and if we take hands and work together, supported through effective leadership, we are on a very good research support trajectory towards service excellence.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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As we welcome new and returning students to CPUT we also celebrate our 2018 research highlights and look forward to making 2019 a year of discovery and innovation. 

The most recent Summer Graduation saw 104 masters and 13 doctorate degrees conferred, underscoring the institution’s ongoing emphasis on research and postgraduate studies. Reflecting on 2018 Prof Marshall Sheldon, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, pointed out CPUT can be proud of many research highlights, including but not limited to:

• the launch of the first VC prestigious award for deserving postgraduate students;
• first Deputy Vice-Chancellor Innovation Award; visits from ministers and government officials to a variety of events; the successful hosting of several conferences on local campuses and the participation at numerous high level national and international prestigious conferences with a number of staff and student awards;
• successful participation in national and international student competitions;
• the continuation and start of a range of partnership initiatives;
• new NRF SARChI chair approvals and appointments plus retained and new NRF ratings; the establishment of new research entities; funding from a range of external stakeholders for various purposes including postgraduate and postdoctoral fellow bursaries,
• improvement of our resources and facilities, and training and development of staff and students; new postgraduate qualifications approved and implemented in line with the new HEQSF; improved research output and a higher number of postgraduate graduations;
• more CPUT research grants were awarded; and clean audits.

“During 2018 Senate also approved the categorisation of researchers, which will allow us as an institution to have a more targeted approach along with a range of new support programmes. CPUT also successfully registered a spinout company, Amaya Space, the first African space company for Africa by Africans,” said Sheldon.

One of the biggest highlight for 2018 was the successful launch of Zacube-2 on 27 December 2018 and the official name for CPUT’s second nanosatellite in space will be announced by the Minister of Science and Technology later this year.

CPUT also bid farewell to researchers who either retired, resigned or, sadly, passed on. “While we were sad to part ways with individuals who retired and resigned we appreciate all their contributions and wish them well with the next phase in their careers and lives. One of them was a stalwart of CPUT, Prof Anthony Staak, our DVC: Teaching and Learning who retired in December 2018.”

Looking forward Sheldon mentioned the finalisation of the Vision 2030 and building #OneSmartCPUT as a project to look forward to, as well as:

• finalising the DHET Framework on Internationalisation;
• implementing the 2019 postgraduate bursaries;
• approving and implementing additional postgraduate qualifications;
• applications and approvals of more external research funding to assist us with achieving our vision, mission and Research, Technology and Innovation strategy;
• new successful NRF rating applications;
• more postdoctoral fellow appointments;
• higher postgraduate bursary awards;
• improved service delivery from all the research support units to all stakeholders;
• the implementation of a new and improved Research Management system;
• the piloting of a new contracts flow management system;
• a focus on research integrity and highlighting research ethics;
• a review of all our research entities;
• expanding our strategic partnerships and networks across the globe;
• and the continuation of a number of successful prestigious projects.

“2018 and the highlights achieved would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication and commitment of all our staff and students and I thank all of you who contributed to these successes. May 2019 be an even greater and more successful year for all,” said Sheldon.

Written by CPUT News

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In a follow-up engagement on potential collaboration projects, a CPUT delegation recently hosted South African Weather Service (SAWS) delegates at the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre.

The Executive Director, Dr Jonas Mphepya, led the meteorological service delegation, while Dr David Phaho, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, led the CPUT delegation.   This was a follow-up from a virtual preliminary engagement, which took place in February 2022, between SAWS, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE) and Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships (SIP).

In his brief welcoming speech, Phaho expressed the Institution’s eagerness to have an “engaging conversation”, and SIP Director, Prof Judy Peter, provided the background concerning the February engagement. Dr Nelisiwe Maleka, Manager of Research Uptake at SIP, said the engagement aimed to explore potential research collaborations, student development, and skills enhancement training.  All representatives agreed to review the current Memorandum of Agreement and identify possible research collaboration projects. 

Mphepya indicated that the work at SAWS cut across all sectors. Furthermore, SAWS values the input of academics in the South Africa Value Chain, which includes observations, numerical weather prediction, forecast generation, issuing official warnings, tailored services, and business data integration. “There is a need to expand the value chain and strengthen capacity building in meteorology, aviation, and marine,” said Mpheypha. He also highlighted the importance of partnership in the “global front and African countries”. In addition, the Director of the Technology Transfer Office, Dr Revel Iyer, emphasised the importance of translating research solutions to the market and ensuring uptake. 

Potential research collaboration projects identified during the first engagement are:

• Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to explore the development of genuine Apps for big data
• Use of ICT for experimental learning
• Sensor development (low-cost sensors) and satellite development, where we can conduct collaborations and capacity building.
• A key component of the ocean economy for ocean gathering relates to reacting to and building risk modelling.
• Student development (select three or four career-studentship Masters and Doctoral programmes where they will work and be supported by SAWS)
• Create opportunities for exchange programmes for staff and students

Below are possible areas of collaboration that were explored and consolidated.

SAWS

• Observations/Met Equipment
• Infrastructure/Software Development & Applications
• Weather & climate knowledge value chain
• Training (RTC)
• Product/Services/Research
• Opportunities – Student Opportunities

Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment

• Satellite for weather monitoring and sensor development

Faculty of Applied Sciences

• Marine Sciences, Ocean Economy
• Student development (bottom-up approach from undergraduate to postgraduate)

These should be aligned to CPUT V2030

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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