The Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships (SIP) Directorate recently hosted high-profile delegations from three esteemed international universities: The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) from the Netherlands, along with Hainan University and Sanda University from China.

The delegation from Hainan University was here with a clear mandate to establish strong partnerships between the two institutions, focusing on collaborative opportunities for faculty and student exchanges, as well as joint research initiatives in critical areas such as agriculture, food sciences, and engineering.

Sanda University’s objective was unequivocal: to forge an intercollegiate relationship with CPUT, facilitate meaningful student exchanges, and promote research cooperation. Simultaneously, THUAS aimed to solidify collaboration between the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment and explore further opportunities with the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.

Dr Tasmeera Singh, Manager of International Relations at the SIP Directorate, highlighted the significance of THUAS’s visit, which included productive discussions at Newlands Stadium and plans to actively pursue a joint Erasmus project. The potential for collaboration with both Sanda and Hainan universities is substantial, and follow-up meetings with CPUT academics are already underway to advance these initiatives.

Singh is delighted that there will “be future meaningful collaborations with these partners in the near future”. She continued: “We are extremely positive about the future developments of these visits. We look forward to collaborations in terms of the internationalisation of research and internationalisation of the curriculum.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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As gateways to knowledge, libraries play an important role in the development of communities.

This fact was recently highlighted when the CPUT Wellington Library, in collaboration with the Faculty of Education and the Wellington Public Library, hosted a community outreach event at the Wellington Skills School. The event formed part of the South African Library Week themed “My library, your library.”

“Our goal is to expose learners to a library and show them what it offers and how it can contribute to their development,” says Manager of the CPUT Wellington Library, Joanne Arendse.

“We want to bring libraries into their hearts and lives.”

As part of the outreach CPUT Education lecturers and students presented a woodwork skills development workshop, which aimed at showing learners the role information can play in the process of constructing an item. CPUT Libraries also presented an information literacy skills development group work session that focused on showing learners how to utilize information resources effectively, while the Wellington Public Library informed learners on the benefits of being a library member.

KNOWLEDGE: CPUT Librarian Naomi Williams coordinated the information literacy skills workshop

Acting principal of the Wellington Skills School, Dorothea Albanie welcomed the CPUT initiative and says such collaborations are important for the development of learners.

The skills school was established at the start of this year and provides learners who experience barriers to learning the opportunity to develop their full potential. The school offers a range of subjects such as woodwork, welding, arts and crafts, agriculture and hospitality.

Albanie says CPUT is the first tertiary institution to reach out to the school and that they look forward to building a strong partnership with the institution.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

“The road to success is not easy; you must keep digging all the time; you will never know when you will hit the gold.”

These are the words from the recent graduate with a Master’s in Agriculture, Mvuselelo Dalicuba, who was appointed winemaker at the famous Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate in Stellenbosch.

Reflecting on his appointment, the 29-year-old winemaker from Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape says: “It is an overwhelming position, and a lot is expected of me. But my boss, Corius Visser, always says: ‘Vusi keep calm all the time and take it one step at a time’.”  Before his appointment, Dalicuba worked as an Assistant Winemaker at the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Elsenburg College. His current mandate is to try to be on top of things (focus) at work and set up goals (short- and long-term goals). “[I am] planning to achieve this by surrounding myself with people who are in my field of work and building contacts,” says Dalicuba, whose career path was shaped by his “very supportive” family who are small-scale farmers in the Eastern Cape.

“[My family] has shaped my career to study Agriculture. They have been my support system, financially, physically, and emotionally.”

His Agriculture career took off in 2013 when he enrolled for the Diploma in Agriculture (Viticulture and Oenology) at CPUT, which he completed in 2015. The following year, Dalicuba enrolled for his BTec,h and he published a review book chapter with his supervisors (Fanadzo Morris and Ernest Dube on the topic: Application of Conservation Agriculture Principles for the Management of Field Crops Pests’ on the Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 28 book.

Following the completion of his BTech degree in 2017, Dalicuba enrolled for the Master’s degree in Agriculture (Viticulture and Oenology) Monitoring levels of ascorbic acid metabolites in Sauvignon blanc (Vitis vinifera L.) during berry development and in the wine.

During his postgraduate studies, the resilient, ambitious and determined Dalicuba had an opportunity to work as an Assistant Winemaker at the Department of Agriculture, Elsenburg Wine Cellar, under the mentorship of Lorraine Geldenhuys (Lecturer and Winemaker at the Elsenburg College), where he practically learned about the winemaking process. During that period, Dalicuba had opportunities to work at other wineries for harvest, such as Anthonij Rupert Wine Estate in 2018, under the mentorship of Yvonne Lester. I also attended Kanonkop Wine Estate in 2020 under the mentorship of Abrie Beeslaar, who has been “the international winemaker of the world three times”.

“Because of good reference and good work ethics, it had helped me to get the position as a Winemaker at Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate under the General Farm Manager and Cellar Master Corrius Visser,” Dalicuba continues.

“One thing that keeps me going is that if you have to believe in yourself and it’s all in your mind if you tell your mind that you won’t make it, then the body will react to your thoughts. Beyers Truter of Beyerskloof Wine Estate has been my inspiration and mentor.”

The highlight of his career was when he first made his wine in 2017 at Elsenburg College with Mourvedre grapes. his main challenge was a lack of understanding of the Afrikaans language, and “the industry is more Afrikaans speaking, but hey, at least I can understand it now, and I can construct some few sentences”.

Dalicuba’s overall plan is to keep producing good quality and delicate wines that people will enjoy, and he says Anton Pieter Nel, his supervisor, was the driving force towards him completing his Master’s degree from the onset.  Due to his passion for winemaking, in his spare time, Dalicuba frequently attends wine-tasting events at different wineries to learn more about their winemaking styles, and he also enjoys the beach.

His message to the younger generation coming from a similar background as him, Dalicuba, says: “Be yourself at all times and never forget who you are, where you come from, and where you are going.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

Written by CPUT News

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