Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Dr Clive Brown from the Education Faculty recently spoke about the challenges and realities matriculants face as they transition from high school to higher education.

Brown compassionately shared his insights during the keynote address titled: Beyond Matric – University Entrance at the Metro South Education District (MSED) Grade 12 Educator Conference held at Bergvliet Primary School. His message aimed to support educators in navigating the challenges students face on their journey to university.

With over a decade of experience as both a university lecturer and academic leader, he passionately shared his insights on the importance of nurturing our educators. His address, rich with his deep understanding of teacher education, research, and work-integrated learning, emphasised the need for stronger mentorship and career guidance. He compassionately highlighted how vital it is for schools and universities to collaborate more effectively, ensuring that local educators feel supported and empowered on their journey.

He began with a critical reflection on the perception gap between schools and universities—what he referred to as Ivory Towers. He highlighted the common disconnect between school educators and university academics, emphasising the need for greater engagement and collaborative initiatives. He referenced CPUT’s establishment of advisory boards in 2018 as “a progressive step towards bridging this divide, fostering dialogue, and ensuring smoother transitions for students entering higher education”.

Brown shared a deeply insightful perspective on the challenges posed by the limited number of universities in South Africa. This scarcity leads to overcrowded lecture halls, strained resources, and creates obstacles for students to connect meaningfully with their lecturers. In such a competitive environment, he compassionately urged matriculants to not only strive for excellent performance but also to consider applying early to enhance their chances of securing a spot. He also shed light on the First-Year Experience (FYE) Programme, recognizing that many of the incoming students are navigating university life as the first in their families to do so. This situation can be particularly daunting, as these students often face socio-economic and psychological hurdles without the familiar support systems that can provide guidance through their academic and personal journeys. His insights reflect a genuine concern for the well-being of these students as they embark on such an important chapter of their lives.

He stressed that university learning environments differ drastically from high school settings. Brown illustrated how students, “now identified by a student number rather than a name, must independently manage their time, engage with online learning platforms, and ensure compliance with academic integrity policies, including proper citation and the responsible use of AI tools like ChatGPT”.

Brown urged both learners and parents to begin financial planning early, as many families only realise too late that they have not saved enough for tertiary education. He stressed that “proactive research and preparation during grades 10 and 11 are crucial for a smooth transition into higher education.

• Brown proposed the Metro South Education District Post-Matric Programme, an initiative aimed at supporting students who:
• Fail matric and seek to rewrite subjects.
• Need guidance on alternative education pathways.
• Have successfully entered university and wish to mentor others in their communities.

Through this programme, he envisions a community-driven support network that ensures no learner is left behind in their pursuit of higher education.

Leading researchers, clinicians and industry experts will converge at CPUT next month for the Cardiometabolic Health and Diabetes Africa Congress 2025.

The event will take place at the Cape Town Hotel School on the Granger Bay Campus on 3 and 4 April.

Dr Saarah Davids, Unit Manager and Researcher at the SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC)/CPUT Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit, said the theme of this year’s congress is Cardiometabolic Health: An African Perspective.

“Our keynote speaker is Prof Rubin Pillay, who is the Chief Innovation Officer at the Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama. Two researchers and two postdoctoral fellows at the SAMRC/CPUT Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit are currently attending a graduate diploma course he is offering to four South African universities, namely Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, CPUT, University of Limpopo, and Walter Sisulu University, with the end goal of building a rural innovation centre based in Pretoria.

“Our plenary speaker for the young scientist forum is Prof Vanessa Steenkamp who is currently the Deputy Dean of Teaching & Learning at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria and the Vice Chair of the Education and Management Division of the IFCC.”

Davids said the first congress was hosted online due to COVID-19 lockdowns.

“One aspect of the congress that was a major success amongst delegates was the Young Scientist Forum, which was organised by emerging researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students of the unit, under the supervision of Prof Tandi Matsha and Prof Rajiv Erasmus.

“This year, the chair of this session is Dr Dipuo Motshwari, who was a PhD student at CPUT and is now a senior scientist at the SAMRC. She is also the chairperson of the Young Scientist Committee in the African Federation for Clinical Chemistry. Additionally, two CPUT MSc students, Shadelene Demas and Kwazi Shelembe, will be assisting with chairing the Young Scientist Forum at the 2025 congress.”

In order to attend the event delegates are requested to complete the registration link. The cost for delegates is R4600 and for young scientists (YS) R2100, (YS delegates are considered those under the age of 40 or who are post PhD, less than 5 years).

CPUT’s Executive Management is responsible for the management of the university. The Executive Management consists of the Vice-Chancellor, three Deputy Vice-Chancellors, the Registrar, the Executive Director: Office of the Vice-Chancellor and the Executive Director: Finance.

Prof Chris Nhlapo, was installed as the third Vice-Chancellor of CPUT in 2019. He previously served as the institution’s first Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships.

The other members of the Executive Management are:

Prof Rishidaw Balkaran: Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching and (Acting) Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships;

Prof Driekie Hay-Swemmer - Executive Director: Office of the Vice-Chancellor;

Jerome Corns - (Acting) Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Operations;

Msulwa Daca - Executive Director: Finance;

Carin Booyse – (Acting) Registrar.

The FNB CPUT players demonstrated remarkable dedication and resilience, ultimately earning a well-deserved 49-24 victory against FNB UKZN in round four of the FNB Varsity Shield at the CPUT Sports Stadium on Bellville Campus on Friday night. It was a hard-fought contest, and their effort truly reflects their passion for the game.

After the recent victory, FNB CPUT Coach Alastair Theys expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the team's journey so far. Reflecting on the challenging start from last year, where they faced losses in their first four games, he shared that this season has truly felt like a dream beginning. The players have poured their hearts into these initial matches, striving to improve week by week with the hope of reaching the playoffs.

Coach Theys highlighted that the team's hard work culminated in a standout performance on Friday. He also extended his gratitude to the passionate supporters from the CPUT community and fellow students, acknowledging how their presence felt like having a 16th player on the field. He said the supporters’ encouragement means so much to the team and helps boost their spirits as they continue to grow and aim for success.

“Such has been the dream start of the tournament; the guys have put a lot of effort in the first four games. All we are doing so far; we are trying to improve just to make sure that we improve week by week so that we can achieve our goal of trying to make it to the playoffs.”

In an exciting match, FNB CPUT managed to establish a strong lead over FNB UKZN, going into halftime with a score of 35-10. It's clear that both teams gave it their all, and while the score might reflect a challenging situation for UKZN, the spirit of competition remained strong.

The coach said that it was heartening to see all the hard work the team has been putting into their training come together in such a significant way, resulting in a truly outstanding performance. “I think the big thing for us was that we have told ourselves that we are really going to care for what we are doing, we are going to take care of each other on and off the field and how we do things. And we are going to commit ourselves to the cause, and we are going to create a competitive environment. Everybody must improve; everybody is held accountable.”

He continued: “Our guys have become more mature in the sense in the last couple of months which is a big plus for student athletes.”

In a commendable display of effort, FNB CPUT saw tries scored by Nkosephayo Ngema, Denley Adams (with two impressive tries), Oyintando Maseti (also with two), and Keewan Titus. Their determination truly shone through the match. On the other hand, the Kwazulu-Natal outfit matched their spirit with tries from Tinotenda Mazhindu, Singele Mkhize, and Siso France. Special recognition goes to Oyintando Maseti from FNB CPUT, who was honoured as the FNB Player That Rocks, celebrating his outstanding contribution to the game.

It’s round four of Varsity Shield and fans can look forward to a home game tonight.

FNB CPUT take on FNB UKZN at the CPUT Sports Stadium in Bellville and kick-off is scheduled for 7pm.

The team remains undefeated having secured their third win in the competition last week, beating FNB WSU 34-20 at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in East London.

Click here for fixtures and logs.

Fans can look forward to another home game next week when the team will face off against FNB Varsity College at the CPUT Sports Stadium on March 14.

CPUT Libraries play a crucial role in supporting students - providing access to a vast collection of resources to assist students with assignments or research.

Our libraries are pivotal in fostering an academic environment that thrives on research and innovation. We are more than just a place to borrow books – we are a hub of learning, where students, faculty, and researchers access the resources, support, and expertise they need to succeed.

Supporting Student Learning and Success

• Access to Resources: The library provides students and faculty with essential resources such as books, journals, databases, and other materials that support coursework, assignments, and research.
• Information Literacy: The library plays a key role in teaching students how to effectively search for, evaluate, and use information, an essential skill for academic success and lifelong learning.
• Study and Collaborative Spaces: Offering a quiet environment for individual study, as well as group study spaces, the library fosters an environment conducive to both learning and collaboration.

A Hub for Research and Innovation

• Research Support: we offer specialised services that support research activities, such as literature reviews, citation management, and access to research databases like JSTOR, PubMed, or Scopus.
• Assistance with Scholarly Publishing: Libraries help researchers navigate publishing processes, including open access publishing and institutional repositories where they can share their findings with the broader academic community.
• Data Management: Libraries assist with research data management, ensuring that data is stored, organised, and shared according to best practices and university policies.

If you ever need to print, scan, photocopy, laminate or bind something… the library is you to go place.

We have six branches – Bellville, District Six, Wellington, Mowbray, Granger Bay and Newlands – ensuring students have a wealth of information at their fingertips.

The two big libraries, Bellville and District Six have a 24-hour study area, for those who want study through the night.

More information on the opening times can be found here