CPUT’s longest-standing partnership with an overseas university was bolstered recently when the Business faculty welcomed three Belgian academics and a group of around 30 students from Katholieke Hogeschole (KAHO) Sint-Lieven. A college university in Flanders, Belgium, KAHO Sint-Lieven has been fostering international exchanges for students and academic staff with the Faculty for over twelve years.

The week-long visit allowed both institutions to explore ways to move their partnership forward in the fields of student and staff exchanges, and research and work placements for in-service training.

The three KAHO Sint-Lieven representatives, International exchange co-ordinator Dirk Trachet; Head of Department (HOD) for Business Management Ellen Pierreux and Office Management HOD Leo Jansegers, were hosted by the joint Acting-Deans of the Business Faculty, Ivan van der Heever and Schalk van der Merwe.

The Belgians were immersed in the daily operations and classroom environment to get a feel for the faculty’s academic environment. They also visited student residences and were introduced to work placement organisations, and local government and industry representatives used for conducting experiential learning that could result in further partnerships.

Visiting: The visiting Belgian academics from KAHO Sint-Lieven (from left) Leo Jansegers, Ellen Pierreux and Dirk Trachet with the faculty's International Exchanges Co-ordinator Dianne Bell, who co-ordinated their programme.

Jansegers shared his thoughts on the experience, saying: “It has been interesting to learn about our cultural differences and see some similarities in our academic modeling. We needed to come to this environment to broaden our minds if we wish to expand our collaboration beyond the Business faculty.”

“I was pleasantly surprised by the level of professionalism the academic staff had and how high the quality of their work is”, said Pierreux.

The Faculty’s International Exchanges Co-ordinator Dianne Bell agreed that the visit was a fruitful exercise: “In each of the fields which the Belgian academics represented, we have been able to identify development areas and list possible actions that we can follow up on in the near future”, she commented.

In the week preceding the Belgians’ visit, the Faculty hosted a formal welcome luncheon at the Granger Bay campus for two new visiting academics from Germany, Professor Alexander Schmidt (Anhalt University) and Prof Uwe Lammel (Wismar University), along with a group of around thirty students from across Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. The academics and students will stay for varying periods ranging from one term to a full academic year, with most students living in the new student residence, City’s Edge.

By: Thando J. Moiloa        

Written by CPUT News
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Education students shared the latest international trends in teaching at a recent international student conference.

CPUT, in collaboration with HAN University of Applied Sciences (HAN) in the Netherlands and University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL), Belgium, recently held the third annual International Student Conference on the Mowbray Campus.

The conference, under the theme “Sharing across borders: expanding the classroom”, saw a group of students from each institution presenting on how to make the classroom an exciting place using effective teaching methods such as using technology, teamwork and engaging the learners.

The UCLL group reported that it spent three months experimenting with six types of team teaching at a school in Thohoyandou, Venda.  These include assisting, parallel, station, observing and complimentary. Team teaching, a trend in European schools, refers to co-ordinated teaching by a team of two or more teachers working together.

The group discussed the advantages and disadvantages of this latest trend, including why it would not work in South Africa. They cited the acute shortage of teachers as evident in the country’s high teacher to learner ratio in classrooms at public schools.

The delegates were divided into six groups and simulated the different types of team teaching.

The CPUT group presented on the pro’s and con’s using online platforms to teach in classrooms, while the HAN group presented on the importance of engaging the learners.

The latter group argued that in order for effective teaching to take place, being inquisitive is important for learners, as are creativity and spontaneity.

Four CPUT students received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the CPUT - HAN student exchange where they taught primary school learners in the Netherlands for three weeks.

Silindokuhle Bobo, Lwando Mpike, Ryan van Niekerk and Jessica Lucas were grouped with Australian partners with whom they did their teaching practice. Each pair was assigned to a teacher in whose classroom they taught. 

Written by Kwanele Butana
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In a significant stride towards fostering international collaboration in higher education, CPUT and Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences (EhB), based in Belgium, have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The MOU signing ceremony marked the formalisation of a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing academic cooperation, research collaboration, and student exchanges between the two institutions. Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences delegation came to CPUT to explore opportunities with the Nursing, Urban and Regional Planning, and other departments. “The purpose of the meeting was to explore how they can collaborate not only in terms of student or faculty mobility but also in research (Research Focus Area 5: Human, Health and Social Dynamics and Applied Microbial and Health Biotechnology Institute),” Manager International Relations: Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships. Dr Tasmeera Singh remarked.

Singh said the collaboration and exchange agreement that was signed on the day allows for the exchange of students and research and that the collaboration was initiated by the Faculty of Applied Sciences. The event was attended by key representatives from both CPUT and EhB, including Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, Dr David Phaho, along with dignitaries from the academic and administrative spheres.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo said CPUT places a premium on internationalisation. “We believe that problems are now global in nature, that’s why we subscribe to addressing sustainable development goals because problems know no boundaries and higher education do have a role to play in terms of actually addressing the sustainable development goals and other problems affecting the mankind,” said Nhlapo.

Reflecting on the occasion, Singh said: “It was a resounding success as there is a deep commitment by both parties to engage and collaborate. The goals were achieved as the MOU was signed and an invitation to visit Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences was extended to the Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

The delegation was taken on a tour of the Department of Food Science and Technology laboratories where they witnessed CPUT's chocolate-making in progress and managed to sample some as well. They were also informed about the brewery and the mechanics behind making beer. “It is always the mandate and objective of the Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships Directorate to ensure that every visit is a success aligned to the objectives of the visit and CPUT's strategic focus areas,” enthused Singh.

It was also revealed that the Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor will visit Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences in July to solidify the commitment of the partnership.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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