CPUT promotes awareness in STEM fields

Recently, the Student STEM Club, alongside the Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development and the Community Engagement Student Academy (CESA) Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Units, proudly welcomed students from two neighbouring schools for an inspiring CPUT STEM School Exposition and STEM Student Competition at Bellville Campus.

Held under the theme: “Science, Technology and Innovation is for everyone,” Dr Frikkie George title missing said the annual STEM Expo Competition aims to advance STEM-related subjects among CPUT students. “It gives students the opportunity to showcase their research projects. George said they had received 99 entries for the competition and, after two training workshops, only 18 were shortlisted. “This is an indication of the high standard of this year's competition. The expertise of the judges from neighbouring universities and the Western Cape Education Department contributed to the success of the competition.”

In his welcome speech, Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo said that a plethora of research has highlighted a decline in the number of learners choosing science subjects in secondary schools worldwide. “In South Africa, learners' attitudes towards STEM subjects are a concern. It has been shown that learners' attitudes towards these subjects have declined.”

Nhlapo also said: “If we stripped away everything built by Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, we would find ourselves sitting in the dark, cold, and completely disconnected”.

He said every single comfort, tool, and answer that people take for granted today was once just a blank page. "It was an unsolved equation, a failed experiment, or a wild question that someone — someone who sat in a university auditorium just like this one — refused to drop.”

Nhlapo continued: “That is the power of STEM. It is not just a combination of subjects. It is the literal infrastructure of human progress. But there is a massive myth floating around. The myth says that STEM is only for the ‘geniuses’. It says that if you don't get straight As in Mathematics and Physical Science, you do not belong in Natural Science.

“Today, I want to bust that myth completely. STEM is not a club for the elite or boys. It is an open invitation for the curious. Thank you for choosing to challenge yourself this year. Let’s collaborate, break some things, fix them, and make this a phenomenal year!”

Dr Fundiswa Nofemela, Director: Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning, said: “Today we meet for one of the most important events in the country’s 2026 calendar. We are here to be counted amongst the various STEM events taking place countrywide”. Nofemela reminded the audience that STEM is a vehicle for social and economic impact. “Through it, we can unlock innovations and uplift our communities. It also equips young people with skills for industry. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics can help us solve some of the immediate challenges we are facing, like climate change and health care challenges. It can even help you develop your own businesses.”

George also provided an overview of the STEM Expo and the STEM student Competition. Nofemela also noted: “Today’s competition is not only about ideas; it is about shaping futures and building a society where knowledge becomes prosperity. To the STEM clubs, watch, learn, and think deeply about your future careers in STEM”.

Dr Faiq Waghid, Head of Department: Academic Staff Development at Fundani CHED, provided a STEM activity: How science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are interwoven into our daily lives. Among the activities were the STEM Exposition Competition pitches by CPUT STEM student competitors and student presenters led by George. There were also visits to STEM Student competition exhibitions.

In this year's competition, all the exhibitors demonstrated working prototypes and models. George said the projects also showed a greater sense of entrepreneurship. He added that the guest speaker, Dr Andry Henney from the University of the Western Cape, “set the correct tone for the competition and that the interactive engagement of Dr Waghid brought vibrant energy to the audience”.

“The competition must have an even greater emphasis on entrepreneurship to help students to develop their projects for the commercial market.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
Email: BoyceAp@cput.ac.za