Vice-Chancellor’s Prestigious Achievers celebrated
Five exceptional postgraduate students have been announced as the recipients of the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestigious Achievers Awards for 2024.
The programme supports postgraduate students who have shown academic excellence and embody the University’s graduate attributes.
This year a record of 38 applications were received from postgraduate students hailing from across the continent.
The five outstanding candidates selected were celebrated during a recent ceremony at the Bellville Campus, where they also had the opportunity to do a short presentation on their research areas or topics.
They are:
Nomnqophiso Zantanta (Doctor of Horticulture) - Research title: The feasibility of soilless cultivation of selected indigenous legumes as fodder crops for small scale livestock farming in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa
Kudzai Mugejo (Doctor of Engineering in Civil Engineering) - Research title: Infrastructure performance and water governance for climate change adaptation in smallholder farming systems in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Rentia van Heerden (Doctor of Business and Management Sciences in Business and Information Administration) - Research title: Navigating the consequences of occupational health and safety Influences for flexible work practices in a public health sector.
Rinae Ndou (Master of Food Science and Technology) - Research title: Physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory properties of gluten-free conventional and steamed bread from Bambara Groundnut, Sorghum, Cassava and Cocoyam flour composites.
Phakama Ngwane (Master of Business Management: Hospitality Management) - Research title: The effect of sustainable practices on hotel performance in Cape Town.
Prof Joseph Kioko, chairperson of the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestigious Achievers Awards Committee, said it was an immeasurable honour to chair the awards.
He said all of the recipients were cum laude students and embody the CPUT graduate attributes.
Since the inception of the programme, 26 awards have been made and 11 recipients have already graduated.
“I implore all the recipients, to make your own contribution, in your own way, to the success of others,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo said his key message to the recipients was “to always transform your daily grind into a source of daily joy.”
“You must always strive to get better at getting better, improving at improving. And define your identity in terms of values, not opinions.”
He expressed the university’s gratitude to the Mauerberger Foundation Fund (MFF) and its chairperson, Advocate Dianna Yach, for making the programme possible.
In her message to the achievers, Yach stated that the MFF’s support for the programme stems from their longstanding commitment to growing future leaders who are devoted to serving society in diverse ways through advancing social justice, ethics, good governance and human rights.
