All roads lead to CPUT this weekend where five tertiary institutions from across the Western Cape will compete in the final games of the Intervarsity tournament.

Teams will battle it out in cricket, soccer, basketball, water polo, rowing, table tennis, badminton, fencing, tennis, netball, rugby and beach volleyball.  In addition, there are several other sporting codes that are purely recreational activities and contenders will not be battling it out for points, but for a breath of enjoyment. 

This rotational tournament dates back to 2016 at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Other participants are University of Cape Town (Ikeys), Stellenbosch University (Maties) and Varsity College. Sports Development Officer Quinton Summers said they expected about 600 participants from these institutions. UWC were the inaugural winners in 2016 with UCT snatching the trophy in 2017.

Maties are the reigning champions as they triumphed last year at UCT.

“[General public] People should come and cheer on their favourite contenders and get to know a thing or two about one of the not so common sporting codes. There is no entry fee to this fun-filled spectacle,” Summers said. 

Themed, 'The Benefits of Play', the occasion is about showcasing students’ sporting talents across several sporting codes.  He said: “Come support and celebrate our youth. The purpose of these games is to allow students the opportunity to interact with students from other universities and to test their skills against quality opposition.”

Summers added that the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) known as the International University Sports Federation in English, with the support of UNESCO had declared 20th September as International University Sports Day. As such the Intervarsity tournament will also be used to celebrate this day, albeit belatedly. The institution with the highest points after all scores have been added shall be declared winners of the Intervarsity.

The trophy handover to the overall winner is on Saturday, 21 September, 5:30pm at the Bellville Campus Stadium.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Next year CPUT will host the 5^th Annual Africa Engineering Week – an initiative jointly organised by UNESCO, the Department of Science and Technology and Engineering Council of South Africa.

Prof Marshall Sheldon, Acting DVC: Research and Innovation, led the CPUT delegation that attended this year’s Africa Engineering Week, which took place earlier in the month at the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein. She participated in a panel focussing on the role of Engineering in addressing the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

CPUT’s Faculty of Engineering also took part in the Engineering Exhibition held in conjunction with this event. Its stall was a joint effort between the faculty’s Student Engagement Coordinator, Luvuyo Kakaza, Rizah Rowe and Sinamandla Maqina from FSATI (French South Africa Institute of Technology), as well as Muziwandile Mazibuko from the Mechatronics Department. During this two-day exhibition, a number of Science and Mathematics learners from schools in Bloemfontein and surrounds attended.

The UNESCO Africa Engineering Week is annual event, hosted by the Department of Science and Technology and supported by the Engineering Council of South Africa, that is focused on addressing the challenges represented by a shortage of engineers in South Africa and attracting learners to subjects like Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This is a multifaceted event that rotates among the nine provinces of South Africa.

“It is with the expectation of great things happening on campus that we anticipate hosting next year’s Africa Engineering Week. This year’s installment of the initiative was very enlightening and stimulating for all who attended.

“I invite each member of the CPUT community to join the Faculty of Engineering in surpassing the success achieved at this year’s event,” says Sheldon.

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In line with International Mother Language Day, which is celebrated every year on 21 February, the Faculty of Applied Sciences Communication and Language Unit is running online isiXhosa and Afrikaans conversational courses.Faculty of Applied Sciences Language Coordinator, Dr Ignatius Ticha says the isiXhosa course offered online in 2020 was a “huge success”.

“We are looking forward to creating the space again for colleagues who missed out on taking the course during the first half of the 2021 academic year.”The purpose of the course, which started on 6 February, is to provide staff with basic conversational isiXhosa and Afrikaans skills that should enable them to engage in multilingual teaching practices or at least engage students they teach and other members of the university community in isiXhosa and Afrikaans.

The Faculty does not have a specific deadline for 2021 registration. It was left open until the Faculty secures a target number of between eight and 11 participants. In so doing, the staff will create a space where students who speak these languages will feel that their languages are acknowledged and respected. Also, the staff will better integrate themselves not just in the university community but also, in society.

“The courses promote linguistic diversity and linguistic rights by contributing to moving isiXhosa and Afrikaans from the periphery towards the centre and more should be done to create a linguistically inclusive university community and space where speakers of languages other than English can be made to see that their languages are valued,” Ticha remarks The isiXhosa course was offered online for the first time due to the Covid-19 lockdown and Ticha says it became clear that this resulted in an increase in the participants as well as improved attendance.

“This was mainly because staff could attend without having to travel from their campuses. Unfortunately, the conversational Afrikaans course did not take place in 2020 but, we are working to offer the course this year, and encourage staff to make use of the opportunity,” he explains.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has been celebrating International Mother Language Day for nearly 20 years, with the aim of preserving linguistic diversity and promoting mother tongue-based multilingual education.Ticha encouraged the Faculty’s staff to participate in these conversational courses.

“The skills they acquire would contribute towards ensuring that they can transcend linguistic barriers, better integrate themselves and create a linguistically inclusive and safe space that would be particularly beneficial to students, at least at a symbolic level.”The Faculty is also hosting an online International Mother Tongue Day event on 22 February from 10:00 to 11:40. This year, UNESCO will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its bold statement that ‘no discrimination can be made on the basis of language’, and celebrate its translation into more than 500 languages.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The Language Working Group at CPUT's commitment to multilingualism aligns with that of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), who is observing International Mother Language (IML) Day by hosting a virtual event themed Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society.

While IML Day is observed on 21 February, the webinar will be held at 11:00 today.

For more information, visit https://www.un.org/en/observances/mother-language-day 

To register for the webinar, click here

In 1999 UNESCO declared 21 February as International Mother Language Day. The date was chosen because it commemorates the students killed during a protest in Bangladesh in 1952. They were part of a group campaigning for the official use of Bengali as their mother language.

According to UNESCO education based on the first language or mother tongue, must begin from the early years as early childhood care and education is the foundation of learning.

This year’s theme, Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society, recognises that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ focus on leaving no one behind. As recently reported on the South African government’s website, linguistic diversity is increasingly threatened as more and more languages disappear. One language disappears on average every two weeks, taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage. It is estimated that 230 languages became extinct between 1950 and 2010.

“While our region’s indigenous languages, isiXhosa and Afrikaans are nowhere near danger of extinction, the Language Working Group still values drawing attention to the use of these languages. In 2020 CPUT had an online “Can you say” campaign to encourage students and staff to practice easy conversational phrases in our 11 official languages. This year we wear our hearts on our sleeves by telling you a little bit about our language journeys and language dreams for CPUT,” states the Language Working Group.

You can read more about this and the Faculty of Applied Sciences’ Mother Language Day virtual event on the Language Unit blog. 

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In commemoration of International Mother Language Day, the Faculty of Applied Sciences hosted a virtual seminar through which students, linguists, scientists and other field experts engaged in a vibrant discussion on Mother tongue-based education.

International Mother Language Day was announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999 as a worldwide annual observation to be held on 21 February to promote multilingualism.  The theme for this year was: Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society. The event was opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Prof Joseph Kioko, who indicated that language denotes identity, modes of interacting and diversity. 

There were presentations by diverse speakers and a panel discussion with the faculty’s students about their language experiences and perspectives. NRF SARChI Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Forensic Linguistics/ Language and Law at School of Languages and Literatures, Rhodes University, Dr Zakeera Docrat, who was also a guest speaker, said the event was most informative and contributed immensely to the debates on multilingualism in higher education institutions. Her presentation was on: Multilingual strategies for scientific teaching, learning and researching in higher education institutions. Docrat noted there was a general notion that the use of languages other than English ‘do not belong’ in the sciences and should be used, promoted and developed within the humanities.  

However, Docrat said: “It is wonderful to see the strides being taken in the science faculties at CPUT.” 

Faculty of Health & Wellness Sciences Lecturer, Michael Paulse said it’s wonderful to hear from the student panel and their thoughts on multilingualism.  “Sometimes we arrogantly believe that we have all the answers so hearing from them is so important,” Paulse continued.

“The debate on how to incorporate indigenous languages is not raging on in Russia, or in Japan, or in Bulgaria, or Korea... It is natural that their mother tongue languages are incorporated and are pervasive across their institutions. We need to make it work in South Africa. It would be an indictment on all of us if we are still debating this in 2030. Let's get excited about the change."

Faculty of Applied Sciences Extended Curriculum Programme Coordinator, Prof Beatrice Opeolu, said the workshop was excellently planned and the presentations were insightful. “I will use tools shared today in my tuition engagements in and out of the classroom. This will be to allow my students to ask questions and give answers in their mother tongues to enhance learning and inclusivity…

“However, we can do more with greater participation of staff as well as support for staff that are interested in learning and using tools aimed at improving language diversification."

Director: Transformation, Social Cohesion & Diversity Unit, Nonkosi Tyolwana said CPUT was making strides but there was a need for improvement. “Multilingualism is a resource that signifies identity and needs to cut across all areas of concerns such as student and staff support, teaching and learning, curriculum and research.”

Biotechnology and Consumer Science Lecturer, Prof Muhammad Nakhooda said the event was instrumental in co-creating knowledge in the science curriculum, by using indigenous languages to enhance understanding to students and to develop indigenous languages as languages of instruction. “Incidentally, there will be a publication from CPUT coming out later this year in the journal Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning from this very Faculty, around the practice of Translanguaging.” 

The organiser, Faculty of Applied Sciences Language Coordinator Ignatius Khan Ticha said the presentations were very insightful and informative. “The presenters are very passionate about linguistic and offer inclusivity and all offered very practical ways of achieving it in higher education.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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CPUT hosts the DST-UNESCO Engineering Week on Bellville campus from 17 to 20 September 2018.

Prof Mellet Moll, Acting Dean: Faculty of Engineering, explained that the annual Engineering Week is sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and is done in collaboration with a host university. “It is a great honour for CPUT to host the event this year,” said Moll.

The week focuses on addressing the challenges of the engineering profession in Southern Africa and the rest of the continent and is also aimed at attracting learners to subjects such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The event (DST-UNESCO Engineering Conference) rotates among the nine provinces of South Africa.

The DST-UNESCO Engineering Conference starts with a day-long student conference on 17 September, with students from Engineering Faculties from all South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) invited to take part.
“Postgraduate students from engineering faculties of South African HEIs submitted abstracts and the best submissions will be presented, with prizes for the best paper and best poster presentation plus a student function which provides a chance for the students from various institutions to network”.

“The formal proceedings of the student conference will be run by academic from CPUT, UCT and Stellenbosch in collaboration with engineering students who are members of CPUT’s SRC,” said Moll.
The main conference will take place from 18 to 20 September and is free and open to all people involved in the engineering profession including industry and academia as well as people in related disciplines who are interested in the topics that will be discussed.

“We have a line-up of speakers from across the spectrum including the DST, SANSA, NRF, ECSA, CPUT, our neighbouring universities UCT and Stellenbosch as well as industry specialists.”

“Engineering finds itself in a changing landscape, especially with the advent of the Industrie 4.0 era. A lot of things have to be reframed so we selected the theme ‘Enabling the Fourth Industrial Revolution for Sustainability and Economic Growth’,” said Moll.

“The conference is divided into sub-themes which require dialogue, especially within the southern African context. These include Industrie 4.0 itself, Energy, Water, Environmental Engineering, Infrastructure, Beneficiation, Space Science, Women in Engineering and Engineering Education.”

*Students can visit the DST-UNESCO career exhibition in the Major Sports Hall on Tuesday 18 September and Wednesday 19 September between 9:00 and 16:00.

Written by Theresa Smith
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CPUT STEM Club achieved second place in the Siemens Gamesa’s HackStem Hackathon Challenge 2023.

The central theme of the hackathon was climate change, with a specific focus on creating a digital product aimed at raising environmental awareness among children aged five to 12 and promoting stewardship. “Stemming from our passion for STEM, we were enthusiastic participants in this competition,” said Coordinator of the Coding and robotics subcommittee of STEM Club, Simphiwe Makhathini, who added that: “I extend my warmest congratulations to the exceptional members of our STEM club who participated in this event.” Siviwe Tshananda, Manelisi Mpotulo, Ntobeko Xolani and Makhathini dedicated a challenging weekend to coding and worked “harmoniously” as a team. “Our collaborative efforts culminated in the development of an educational game…”

One can explore the project on GitHub by visiting the repository at CPUT STEM DEVS GitHub. Throughout the event, the team engaged in enlightening conference meetings with various stakeholders who offered valuable insights and information. Among the primary stakeholders they interacted with were the India Sesame Workshop, Siemens, UNESCO, WAGGGS, Vianeo, and ITT Delhi. These discussions revolved around the critical role of youth in combating climate change. “Vianeo, in particular, delivered a significant session on developing and pitching a business idea. Siemens Gamesa was also kind enough to acknowledge our achievements in a LinkedIn post, which you can find in Siemens Gamesa LinkedIn Post.”

STEM coordinator, Dr Frikkie Georger, said: “Once again, I want to express my pride in our team's remarkable performance and thank everyone for their hard work and dedication. We look forward to addressing the challenges we encountered and continue our commitment to the CPUT STEM Club Robotics and Programming Division.”

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Journalism lecturer Sisanda Nkoala will fly the CPUT flag at the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day Global Conference in Uruguay next month.

Not only has one of her papers been selected for presentation at the conference, but she will also serve on a panel discussing "Censorious Assaults on Education and Collateral Impacts on Student Press Freedom”.

“I am excited and honoured to have been selected because the UNESCO Global Press Freedom Conference is an important event for the global journalism fraternity. It allows me to deliberate on press freedom, one of the cornerstones of a functioning democracy. It is also an important platform to network and create meaningful collaborations to advance my research and teaching in journalism studies,” said Nkoala.

The title of her paper is Language as Symbolic Action in Online Violence against South African Female Journalists on Twitter.

Nkoala said that online violence against journalists is a global phenomenon. Recent studies have documented patterns suggesting that specific groups of journalists defined by gender are likely targets of online harassment intended to prompt women journalists to self-censor.

 “My study builds on this and focuses on using language as symbolic action for mob censorship in digital spaces against selected female South African journalists. Mob censorship is understood as violence exercised by ordinary citizens against journalists to intimidate and silence the press.”

 Through a qualitative content analysis, she analysed how women journalists are subjected to mob censorship in digital spaces through the posts directed at them.

“My main finding is that the most prevalent linguistic devices used to engage in mob censorship of these women journalists are name-calling and chastisement. My analysis highlights that this occurs through belittling them based on race and gender and trying to admonish these women into silence through sexual innuendo and mentalism.”

The panel she will serve on l will consider issues and developments threatening student journalists' ability to exercise their press freedom.

This year’s conference will take place from 2 to 5 May, and the theme is Journalism under Digital Siege.

World Press Freedom Day is observed on May 3 every year and reminds governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about press freedom and professional ethics. 

Asked what World Press Freedom means to her, Nkoala said it is a day to remember the centrality of a free and functioning press in all our lives.

“In the age of disinformation, knowing that there exists an institution, like the press, that can be trusted not only to help us decipher fact from fiction but also to speak truth to power and be a voice for those whose voices are muted is important. Our press in South Africa has played an important role in recent years in doing this. Through entities, such as the South African Press Council, where I serve as a public representative, it is encouraging to know that the climate of excellent and ethical journalism, which is also important for press freedom, is preserved.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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To recognise and raise awareness on International Language Day celebrations, The Language Unit will be taking their campaign to social media, featuring the hashtag: Teach Me To Say.

Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in November 1999. With the aim of preserving linguistic diversity and promoting mother tongue-based multilingual education worldwide, UNESCO has been celebrating it on 21 February for the last 23 years.

Language Specialist in Afrikaans at Language Unit, who is also the campaign’s coordinator, Alexa Nicole Anthonie, says the campaign is to encourage the CPUT community to turn to anyone they know and ask to be taught something in another language. “Although the day is called International Mother Language Day, but it can be any language that our communities teach us. So, International Mother Language Day is just the name, but it’s about celebrating, remembering and teaching others our heritage languages. This year’s theme is: education.

#TeachMetoSay is set to trend on Tik Tok. Members of the CPUT community can go onto the app to find what videos have been uploaded by students. By searching for #TeachMetoSay on the app, you’ll find various videos featuring students and CPUT staff members doing language challenges.

The campaign will also offer students an opportunity to win prizes. Interested students in participating only need to search for #TeachMetoSay on TiK Tok and they stand a chance to win prizes.

Third year students in the ECP programme for Biomedical Sciences, Refilwe Nyoni, Thobelani Sibisi and Phindokuhle Mthembu are at the forefront of driving this campaign. “We are hoping to attract the attention of the entire CPUT community especially first-year students, so this is an attempt to make them feel welcomed,” says Anthonie.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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CPUT is working on establishing a Centre on Sustainable Heritage in partnership with the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), where research and consultancy will be performed to develop various guidelines to protect and restore heritage sites and structures.

Head of Programme:Diploma in Civil Engineering, Dr Pallav Kumar was invited to a recent SAHRA webinar together with Ashaadia Kamalie, Head of Department, Civil Engineering and Geomatics, to take part in the Heritage Resources Management Co-ordination Seminar.

“The purpose of the seminar was to bring together various role players in heritage resources protection to discuss the status of heritage resources coordination in the country, issues impeding effective coordination and how we can improve the coordination process for the benefit of the South Africans,” Kumar said.

At the seminar, Kumar, who is an expert on heritage structures and their material, presented his research work, which was performed by his students, PhD candidate, Maphole Loke and two Master’s students, Riaan Victor and Monique Mentor. The work comprises of characterisation and development of heritage mortar for Castle of Good Hope and Robben Island (UNESCO Heritage Sites). “In this work, we proposed to develop a Primary Heritage Material Card (PHMC) for each of the heritage structures in South Africa. This PHMC will help in the restoration work of these structures. Further work is also initiated at Dal Josafat, Paarl, to perform non-destructive testing and estimate the mechanical properties of the Masonry wall.”

The seminar concluded with the report on the national audit of monuments and memorials which  were presented to the role players in heritage resources management.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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CPUT Libraries, in collaboration with the Department of Student Affairs (DSA), recently joined the global celebration of World Book and Copyright Day under the theme "Read Your Way”.

This annual event is observed worldwide, and it serves as a tribute to the invaluable contributions of books and authors, while also highlighting the importance of copyright protection in fostering creativity and innovation. The World Book and Copyright Day holds profound significance, tracing its roots back to UNESCO's decision in 1995 to commemorate April 23rd as a day of literary celebration. This date was chosen to honour the birth and death anniversaries of renowned authors, including William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, underscoring the universal appeal of literature and its timeless impact on human culture.

At the heart of CPUT's celebration were esteemed guest speakers, dedicated staff, and enthusiastic students, all gathered to partake in a series of enlightening discussions and presentations. Yunus Omar, Library Manager of the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, set the tone for the event, emphasising the importance of reading as a transformative force that enriches the mind and broadens the horizon. Njabulo Maphumulo, Deputy Dean of Student Affairs, emphasised the importance of cultivating a culture of writing and storytelling, stressing that it is crucial to create avenues where individuals can share their narratives and contribute to the rich tapestry of literature. Maphumulo also highlighted the critical role of access to books in empowering individuals to chart their intellectual journey. He stressed the need for collaborative efforts, such as this event, to bridge the gap and make educational resources more accessible to students.

There were also insightful presentations by guest speakers, Ntombozuko Bota- CPUT alumna and author of a book: A Seed Grown Into Flower and motivational speaker and Musa Tshabangu- first-year student and author, who captivated the audience with their inspiring journeys and invaluable insights into the writing, publishing process, and importance of copyright. With firsthand experience and expertise, they shared practical tips and financial considerations essential for aspiring authors, shedding light on the intricate path from conception to publication. Musa has authored two books, Decision Making and Koke ngaphasi komthunzi welanga kune skhathi sakho.

Under the adept direction of Regina Sikhosana, Library Manager, Faculty of the Engineering and Built Environment, the programme unfolded seamlessly, providing a platform for dialogue, learning, and inspiration. Janine Lockhart, Scholarly Communication and Digitisation Services, extended heartfelt gratitude to all participants for their contributions and commitment to promoting information literacy as a skill taught in libraries to support learning and teaching, and protection of authors’ copyright and intellectual property following the Protection of Personal Information Act.

Ntombekhaya Gwaqa , Marketing Librarian, said the celebration of World Book and Copyright Day was a testament to the institution's unwavering dedication to fostering social cohesion, a culture of reading, learning, and creativity. “Through collaborative endeavours and insightful discourse, it reaffirms the enduring significance of books as vessels of knowledge and the indispensable role of copyright in safeguarding the fruits of human imagination. As we reflect on this commemorative day, let us renew our commitment to cherishing literature, nurturing talent, and upholding the principles of intellectual integrity and cultural diversity.”

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