Hard work never goes unnoticed at FEBE

The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE) recently celebrated excellence at its annual FEBE Research Awards ceremony, held at the Cape Town Hotel School. This gathering recognised outstanding achievements in research, innovation, teaching, and learning, highlighting the remarkable talent within the faculty.

These prestigious awards inspire a vibrant research culture, encouraging young researchers and honouring exceptional contributions from both staff and students. Presented during the annual Research and Awards Day, winners showcased their groundbreaking findings through papers, posters, and technology demonstrations. Earning a FEBE Research Award offers significant recognition within the institution and may include monetary grants for work-related pursuits.

In his welcome speech, Prof Suresh Ramsuroop, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, said: “Today is about celebration - celebrating the incredible work, creativity, and dedication that make our faculty such a vibrant community in research and innovation. Not only has the faculty engaged in impactful research in recent years, it has also been a leading faculty in research outputs and technology innovations.

Ramsuroop said over the past year, their faculty has achieved so much - more publications, stronger collaborations, and a growing number of postgraduate successes. “These achievements don’t happen by chance; they reflect your hard work, teamwork, and a shared commitment to excellence, transformation, and impact.”

Addressing the recipients, he said: “To our award recipients - congratulations! You remind us of what’s possible when passion meets purpose. And to all who support this journey - our supervisors, research units, administrators, Ndumi [Mangqwengqwe-Siko] and Elizma Alberts, thank you for the energy and spirit you bring to our faculty every day.

“Let’s continue to inspire one another, build on this momentum, and keep making research matter. Enjoy the afternoon, and once again, congratulations to all our awardees!”

Ramsuroop said their work plays a vital role in connecting their research with industry, innovation, and real-world application - “ensuring that the knowledge we generate at CPUT truly makes a difference beyond our campus”.

Prof Veruscha Fester, Assistant Dean: Research, Technology, Innovation & Partnership, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, said: “We want the top performers in terms of research to know that they are appreciated. We are aware that to perform so well, a lot of family time is sacrificed. We therefore invited the spouses/support structure at home to attend with them and also come with to collect the award. I believe it is a very special gesture.”

Fester said the event shows that FEBE values their staff and values outstanding performance. “Hard work never goes unnoticed.”

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