When tasked with thinking out of the box, Landscape Technology students proved they have what it takes to make their mark in their competitive industry.

As part of the department’s annual group project, landscape architecture lecturers Christine Thorne and Gerhard Griesel tasked the class to conceptualise, design and construct a land art installation that will illustrate the goal of Earth Hour, a global movement advocating environmental awareness in a bid to save the planet.

The project ran over several months and culminated recently when students had the opportunity to showcase their land art installations at the Bellville Campus.

Third-year student Ruan Rossouw together with his group focused on plastic bottles and the detrimental impact these products have on the environment. The group drew inspiration from the Spiral Jetty, an earthwork sculpture constructed in the 1970’s on the shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The sculpture forms a counterclockwise coil projecting from the shore of the lake.

“We created a spiral jetty to show how plastic is consuming a tree. It is aimed at making people aware of what they do when they litter,” he says.

Ruan says the project had a profound impact on the class.

“We learnt to look at nature with a softer eye,” he says.

Thembakazi Nayo, who is in her first-year, echoes Ruan’s statement and says the project was an “eye-opener” on how litter impacts on the environment.

Thembakazi’s group recreated the yin and yang symbol by using cardboard, recycled material and leaves to indicate how they interrelate to one another.

As part of the project students also produced a digital story reflecting on the project.

Thorne says the annual group project has been running for several years and each year the focus is on a land art installation as the nature of such installations lends itself to a design and construction process.

The Department of Horticultural Science is very proud, having achieved full professional accreditation for the landscape programme since the move to the Bellville campus as well as all three landscape architect lecturers currently registered for PhD studies.

*Applications for 2018 are open. To apply for the Diploma in Landscape Architecture (former Landscape Technology) course apply online at : http://www.cput.ac.za/study/apply

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.

Research is about taking a problem and finding suitable solutions.

This is the mantra of award winning researcher and innovator, Dr Asis Patnaik, who will spearhead research activities in the field of technical/smart textiles at CPUT.

Patnaik recently joined the Department of Clothing and Textile Technology and holding a NRF-C2 rating since 2015, he joins the growing ranks of high profile researchers at CPUT.

A renowned expert in technical textiles, he has extensive experience in working with industrial partners and funding agencies to solve research and development problems, and his efforts have resulted in an impressive 62 publications in peer-reviewed accredited sources and two technology demonstrators.

One of Patnaik’s most notable research ventures resulted in the development of innovative dual insulation (sound and thermal) materials for the building and automotive industries, manufactured entirely from waste plastic bottles and discarded sheep wool. Patnaik says the innovation not only provides consumers with a cost-effective insulation options but has created business opportunities for local entrepreneurs and sheep farmers.

“We want to move away from outsourcing from abroad. Research must also be about creating jobs and empowering people,” he says.

With more than 350 different textiles available in the market, the field of technical textiles is very diverse and is not limited to clothing but extends to textiles and technical textile based materials suitable for the manufacturing, automotive, medical, building and footwear industries amongst others.

“The word “technical textiles” means textile based materials used for technical applications. Some of the examples of such materials are roof celling insulation materials for the building, filters for air and water populations, surgical gowns and face masks used in the medical fields,” says Patnaik.

“In a car interior, there are about 40% textile materials used for various applications. It can be in the form of seat, carpet or sound absorbing materials generally used behind the bonnet or door panel of the car to absorb the engine and road noise.”

Patnaik says it’s an exciting field and one with endless opportunities to innovate.

He is also currently working on several innovative projects, including the design of specailsed footwear for diabetic patients and the development of an antimicrobial textile that will be derived from natural resources.

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.

As the Western Cape battles a critical water shortage the research conducted by Prof Vernon Somerset, a leading researcher in Environmental Chemistry, has become ever more urgent.

Somerset recently joined the Chemistry Department, and holding a NRF-C3 rating he joins the ranks of high profile researchers and innovators at CPUT who are using their skills to address the numerous challenges facing local communities, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Describing water as a fascinating field, Somerset says ultimately all his research work is aimed at ensuring South Africa’s water resources are adequately protected and that communities have access to safe drinking water.

“This research is important, because nationally we don’t have a lot of water and on the other hand we have a lot of mining and agriculture activities, which impacts on our water resources. The more we know about the impact of these anthropogenic activities, the better we can advise. There is also the area of emerging pollutants, such as pharmaceutical and personal care products, xenobiotics, antimicrobials, endocrine disruptors, etc. We are becoming much more aware of these components. It’s important for us to know more about it so that we can protect our water resources and safe guard people from being exposed to these pollutants," he says.

Hailing from the highly respected Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Somerset, who has a PhD in Electro-analytical Chemistry from UWC, will drive environmental related research that has an impact on aquatic ecosystems and human health at CPUT. While based at the CSIR he has also investigated the fate and transport of heavy metals in the freshwater ecosystems of South Africa, especially the global pollutant called mercury. He is currently involved with other researchers across the country, assisting the Department of Environmental Affairs with South Africa’s ratification of the Minimata Convention on mercury.

Somerset says he looks forward to training the next generation of researchers.
“I’m here because we need to make sure that students are trained adequately and are equipped to apply their knowledge of environmental chemistry to protect the environment for future generations.”

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

A final year engineering project could save thousands of litres of water by helping municipalities to detect leaks in their water distribution lines.

Jean-Pierre Mostert, who recently graduated with his BTech in Electrical Engineering: Control Systems, developed a low-cost water leak detection system, an innovative project that helped him secure the coveted spot as the best performing student of the 2016 graduating class.

Mostert, who is now employed at Lesedi Nuclear Services, says pipeline leakages within the water distribution network of municipalities is one of the major contributing factors to water loss, with some recording losses of more than 1 769.69 mega liters per year.

“There is a need for an automatic early detection method of water leak detection within a water distribution network,” he says.

“These leakages waste money, cause severe damage to the surrounding area and infrastructure and pose a potential risk to public health.”

Mostert says current leak detection methods, such as looking for wet patches of ground above pipes, are not sufficient and that very little techniques and methods have been used to constantly and continuously monitor a pipeline.

To prevent water loss, he developed a software algorithm that makes use of flow measurements within a simulated water distribution network to detect leaks.

As part of the project, a rig simulating a mains water distribution pipeline was constructed, which featured an inlet and outlet flow sensor to detect the amount of water entering as well as exiting the pipe. Utilising a micro controller unit and specialized software, the flow measurement data is transmitted to a central monitoring station (PC) over a wireless sensor network and captured into a database.

“The basic idea is to make use of the volume balancing method, whereby the current flow measurements are constantly compare to a normal threshold. Once a deviation from these conditions are detected and present for a certain amount of time, the algorithm will signal an alarm,” says Mostert.

The alarm system will allow individuals who are monitoring the water distribution system to easily cut power to a problematic bulk line and prevent further water losses. Mostert says this approach is low-cost as water distribution networks already have sensors, which can be incorporated into the proposed system.

“The final recommendation for this project will be that the existing flow sensors within the water distribution network of a municipality should be adapted so that data can be transmitted remotely over a network,” says Mostert.

“These sensors can then form a wireless sensor network and the early leak detection method can be implemented on the central PC. This will also allow for the data to be accessed remotely via an internet connection from any location.”

*The project was supervised by researchers Dr Wilfred Fritz and Deon Kallis.

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Through technology transfer and the diffusion of innovative technologies, the Metals Technology Laboratory (METL) will facilitate strategic projects that will contribute towards the growth of a sustainable South African and more closely the Western Cape foundry industry.

Launched recently at CPUT, the METL is a highly specialized unit that is based in the TIA Adaptronics Advanced Manufacturing Technology Laboratory.  Its activities are aligned to the National Foundry Technology Network (NFTN), a key foundry industry support initiative, which is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry.  

Spearheading activities at the METL is Llewellyn Cupido, who is part of the first cohort of South Africans who participated in the Research and Innovation in Foundry Technology scholarship programme, a Department of Science and Technology supported initiative aimed at developing high-end expertise to support the technology and innovation capabilities of the South African foundry industry.

Cupido says while South Africa has a struggling foundry industry, much more can be done to facilitate the development of a globally competitive industry and the potential is great.

“Technology and innovation in the South African industry is lacking. They are able to melt metal into shapes, but the question is how can they make better products using innovative technologies?” says Cupido.

“Internationally the industry has become innovative. We need to innovate to compete internationally.”

Cupido says the METL aims to expedite projects that will see the introduction of new technology into the South African foundry industry and will also provide general project assistance, in collaboration with its various partners.

Based on the Bellville Campus, the unit has access to a range of capabilities, which include state-of-the-art design and product performance simulation (virtual engineering), and casting simulation utilising the software MAGMASOFT. The unit also has the software Thermo-Calc, which is used for thermodynamic calculations such as phase diagrams and for the exploration of thermodynamic properties of chemical reactions.

The unit will also work closely with the Product Lifecycle Management Competency Centre, also based at the Bellville Campus. The centre, which is the only of its kind in Africa, focuses on product design, product lifecycle management and system engineering.

Cupido says MELT is currently also involved in several projects, which includes a collaboration with the China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology. The project is exploring the use of patternless casting technology to reduce production time and cost, as well as the improvement of dimensional accuracies by producing casting as close to the final product. Other projects involve the design and simulation of castings used on power plants and the investigation of the corrosivity of specialty steels used in nuclear structures.

Cupido will also participate in the upcoming BRICS Foundry Forum and visit China later this year.

• The Research and Innovation in Foundry Technology scholarship programme is a collaborative initiative between CPUT, the Faculty of Foundry Engineering at AGH University of Science and Technology and the Laboratory for Aerospace Materials of Rzeszow University of Technology in Poland. It is supported by the Department of Science and Technology,

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

Winemaking is not a task for the fainthearted.

It requires patience, a sound scientific background as well as a love of wine, says second-year students following the Viticulture and Oenology stream in the Department of Agriculture.

To ensure that students have the knowledge and hands-on experience that will give them the edge in the wine industry, the class is currently producing their first wines, a several-week process that starts by crushing and destemming grapes and will culminate in the bottling process and final taste test.

Oenology lecturer, Anton Nel, says the task is part of the Oenology module designed to develop students' foundation in biochemistry and microbiology and ensure they gain an understanding of all the processes involved in the production of wine.

“In the first year, they are introduced to winemaking and we look at the history, biochemistry and microbiology. In the second year we focus on the practical part of winemaking. This involves the crushing of grapes, separation of skins and juice, balancing of the must, fermentation of juice and stabilization and filtering of the finished wine,” says Nel.

“In the third year, we look at the post-handling of the wine.”

Nel says this year he encouraged students to be creative and to put their skills to the test, tasking them to create a wine of their choice, and so far he is impressed with their efforts.

Student Amanda Gwiji opted to produce a merlot with a wooded taste, which required her to add blocks of French oak to the wine after the fermentation process.

“There are a lot of factors involved in the process of winemaking. You have to be very specific because you need to get a certain outcome.”

“Winemaking is an art that is science-based,” says Amanda.

Her classmate, Koos De Wet, is producing a wooded merlot and hopes that by introducing blocks of American oak during the fermentation process, the final product will by soft and full-bodied. He is also producing an unwooded chardonnay, with fresh, vibrant and fruity characteristics.

Koos welcomes the practical task and says it provides the class with an opportunity to put their theory into practice and gives them insight into what they can expect in industry.

Click here for more information on the National Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology.

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.

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.

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

To succeed you must know yourself, have the right skills, develop knowledge and make the right decisions.

This was the mantra of Dr Valanthan Munsami, CEO of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), who was the keynote speaker at the final Faculty of Engineering graduation ceremony.

Munsami says although graduates have acquired a set of specific skills, they will now have to create a knowledge base by obtaining the necessary experience. He urged graduates to do this by looking for new avenues of learning and by exposing themselves to different opportunities.

“One of the most valuable things that I have learnt in my career is by listening. By listening you accumulate knowledge,” he says.

He also urged the graduating class to build a brand and one that represents excellence.

One such graduate, who is already building a brand, is Sosibo Nhlanhla, who was honoured for his academic achievements during the ceremony.

Nhlanhla, who obtained a National Diploma in Maritime Studies, was awarded the coveted Dean’s Medal. He achieved distinctions in all 31 of his subjects, boasting an impressive average of 86.6 %.

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

It’s up to South Africa’s future engineers to find solutions to the problems facing the continent and the rest of the world.

Humbulani Mudua, Chief Director of Space Science at the Department of Science and Technology, urged graduates from the Faculty of Engineering to become innovators, dreamers, industrialist and developers.

He says the graduating class must address the problems facing the 21^st century and also explore how to evolve in thinking about and designing new technology for the future. Mudua also encouraged graduates to work collectively alongside others in various disciplines as well as to make use of the opportunities put in place by government to advance South Africa.

“Let’s unleash South Africa’s potential,” says Mudua.

During the ceremony, graduate Jean-Pierre Mostert was also recognized for his outstanding academic performance.

A BTech Electrical Engineering graduate, Mostert was awarded the coveted Vice-Chancellor’s Medal, which is an annual award given to the overall top achieving student.

Mostert obtained distinctions in 21 of 24 subjects, with an average of 87.4 % over all four years of study.

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

Break the rules, says Dr Tracey Naledi.

A public health specialist at the Western Cape Department of Health, Naledi urged graduates from the Faculty of Applied Sciences to simply not accept all rules.

It is not easy to determine what rules to break and what not to, but the development of society is about questioning the rules, says Naledi.

Referring to the late Nelson Mandela and the thousands who participated in Sharpville, Naledi says by questioning and breaking the rules of the time, South Africans today reap the benefits of living in a democratic society.

She says around the globe there have been rules that have had to be questioned, such as denying women access to higher education.

“The point is that some rules can be a source of injustice and great pain.”

She urged the class of 2016 to think about rules, look at them from multi-angles, research them and consult others.

“Make informed and concise decisions to follow, ignore or contradict the rules,” she says.

“Realise that your decisions will cost you. There will be consequences…be sure that you are willing to live with the consequences.”

Naledi says breaking rules requires responsibility and in some cases there will be mistakes.

“Making mistakes is a good thing…Every mistake is an opportunity for growth. It’s a teachable moment…because you are asking yourself ‘what happened’…you are reflecting.”

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

Operate with integrity.

This is according to businessman Matiki Chikala, who urged CPUT graduates to be credible and honest citizens.

Chikala, who is the founder of the organisation Mago Resources, addressed the class of 2016 at the Faculty of Engineering graduation. The ceremony is the second graduation in a series of 16 ceremonies, which will run throughout this week.

Mago says South Africa has “contaminated moral environments” and that it is up to new graduates to operate with integrity, be solution seekers and solution providers.

“Go out there and instil your moral compasses in society,” he says.

“Do everything with integrity. Please do not lose it… we need agents of change in our communities.”

Mago says graduates are equipped with the tools to change the world and must use it to make it a better place. He also urged the graduating class to approach all their activities with a positive attitude and to develop goals and purpose.

“Develop a ‘whatever it takes mindset’,” says Mago.

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

Efforts to develop Africa’s future energy workforce will receive a welcome boost with several universities in Africa identified to benefit from the roll-out of Electrical Engineering Masters and Doctoral programmes specializing in Smart Grids.

The DAMOC project, short for the Development of a Harmonized Modular Curriculum for the Smart Grid, is an ambitious programme funded by the ERASMUS + KA2 initiative, which promotes platforms for cooperation in innovation and the exchange of good practices in the international higher education sector.

CPUT’s Centre for Substation Automation and Energy Management Systems (CSAEMS) has been identified to participate in the DAMOC project, along with Stellenbosch University, University Of Pretoria, as well as two Tanzania-based institutions, which include The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology and the University of Dar Es Salaam.

Director of the CSAEMS and a leading expert in Smart Grids, Prof Raynitchka Tzoneva, will lead the CPUT delegation, who this month will attend the project’s kick-off meeting in Germany.

Smart grid technology is a highly specialized area of electrical engineering, which focuses on development of standard-based monitoring, protection and control integrated power systems that allow electricity suppliers to monitor the flow of electricity, improve transmission and storage, as well as facilitate the distribution of energy generated from alternative sources, such as wind turbines. The skills developed in this area are crucial for the development of the energy sector and will help address Africa’s energy woes.

“Envisioned outcomes of this project are new, interdisciplinary master and doctor courses implemented at partner institutions in Africa, running laboratories, online courses, and improved networking between the partners,” says Tzoneva.

The Masters and Doctoral courses will include modules such as emerging standards for smart grid, power electronics, integration of renewable energy into the power system, cyber security, and virtual power plants.

Tzoneva says specialised laboratories will also be set up at CPUT and the Nelson Mandela African Institute Of Science and Technology.

The European partners include Dresden University of Technology in Germany, Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi in Italy, and Karlstad University in Sweden.

The project will receive support from the South African National Energy Development Institute – South Africa.

The DAMOC project will run over the course of three years.

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

In another first for a university of technology, the Agrifood Technology Station (ATS) has launched a Jet Cook Steam Infusion Product Development Facility.

A cutting-edge cooking system that is revolutionising the food manufacturing sector, the Jet Cook Steam Infusion plant is the only unit of its kind at a higher education institution in South Africa, and will be used to support small, medium and micro-sized enterprises as well as larger manufacturers in the food sector.

A collaboration between CPUT, the British based manufacturer DCN Norris and its’ local representative Courlander’s Agencies, this fluid processing unit relies on its innovative steam infusion system, cooking up to 500 kilograms of sauces and other products much more efficiently than conventional methods used in industry. It does this by reducing multi-processing stages, such as mixing, heating, pumping and homogenising, into one simple stage.

Director of the ATS, Larry Dolley, says the new facility is a welcome addition to the ATS and will allow them to expand their offering of support services to the food manufacturing sector.

“There is great value in the equipment, including the training of students, running industry trials as well as for SMMEs needing to understand and experience the value of this new technology,” says Dolley.

According to a statement released by DCN Norris, the British based organization that manufactures the Jet Cook Steam Infusion, the device “operates by collapsing steam into the product at high velocity through a specially designed nozzle. As the steam collapses it pulls the product (liquid) through, creating a re-circulating effect (partial vacuum) in the re-circulating pipe.”

Dolley says additional benefits of the system include reduced energy consumption and waste water. It also allows manufacturers to reduce starch and salt content.

The ATS, along with DCN Norris and Courlander’s recently conducted trials across multiple products on the system, to demonstrate its capabilities to the South African food industry. Products produced during the trials ranged from cheese sauce to lasagna filling, custard and minestrone soup.

For more information on the Jet Cook Steam Infusion Product Development Facility and the services provided by the ATS, please contact Larry Dolley at: +27 21 959 6276 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Click here to visit the ATS website.

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CPUT is going off the grid.

In a bid to become energy efficient, the Center for Distributed Power and Electronics Systems (CDPES) has installed an off-grid solar PV system with battery backup.

The system is a first for CPUT and has the capacity to run five of the center’s laboratories, which are located in the Bellville-based facility housing the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering.

Dr Marco Adonis, deputy head of operations at the CDPES says the new installation will help cut the department’s electricity bill, with potential cost savings expected to be R25000 per annum. It will also contribute towards teaching and learning activities, and complement several of the center’s core research areas, which include energy efficiency, renewable and alternative energy technologies, microgrids and smart grids.

Installed by Solar MD, the system consists of 18 solar PV panels that have been installed on the roof of the new building, as well as a lithium-ion battery bank. The battery bank stores electricity for use on days when there are low solar insolation levels as well as during periods of utility load shedding. The electricity stored will also be put to use during the evening, when lectures on the new Masters in Energy Programme are held and the CDPES postgraduate laboratories are in use.

The installation features a state-of-the-art battery monitoring system and a smart system controller that assists with load management and protection. The system also includes a versatile web-based monitoring system.

“This feature allows the remote monitoring of the system parameters, analysis of the system performance and enables generation of real-time or historical comprehensive reports on site’s energy production, energy savings and technical status,” says Adonis.

Kaloyan Dimnov, Director of Solar MD, says the solar PV panels are easy to maintain and has a lifespan of more than 25 years.

Click here for more information on the CDPES.

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Talented chemistry students Kudzanai Nyamayaro and Kelly Shunje are flying the CPUT flag high.

The duo who are based in the Department of Chemistry have been awarded the Innovation and Priority Research Areas Masters Scholarship, an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology that is facilitated through the National Research Foundation (NRF).The scholarship aims to increase South Africa’s cohort of masters and doctoral graduates.

Applicants face a competitive selection process, but Nyamayaro and Shunje’s excellent academic record helped them clinch the prestigious scholarship. Of the 821 awardees for 2017 nationwide, only 7 CPUT students made it to the list.

Both are currently working towards their MTech qualifications under the guidance of Dr Nikoletta Báthori. Their work is based on crystallography (determining the arrangement of molecules /ions in crystalline solids), with a focus on the improvement of the properties of pharmaceutical drugs.

Shunje is exploring anti-malaria and anti-tuberculosis drugs focusing on improving their physiochemical properties through formation of multicomponent crystals.

With her sights set on graduation in September, Shunje says she enjoys research and is looking forward to applying her skills in the pharmaceutical industry.

“I ventured into this specific area because I have a strong desire to discover solutions towards the alleviation of suffering and peril in the world. I would never be able to be a doctor and work directly with patients, but by working on pharmaceutical drugs I can still help people.”

Nyamayaro, who has already co-published three papers, is focusing his efforts on aspirin and how to increase its lifespan after it is exposed to water or air.

Also set to graduate this Spring, Nyamayaro, who has won several prizes for his outstanding academic records, says he is grateful for the scholarship and the funding it makes available to facilitate his academic and research activities.

Nyamayaro, who has his sights set on completing a doctorate, is one of the top performing students in the Faculty of Applied Science. He was recently awarded the James Moir Medal by the South African Chemical Institute, which recognizes the top chemistry students at each university and university of technology.

However, Nyamayaro says while a love of science prompted him to follow a career in chemistry, hard work has played a huge role in his success.

“I work and study really hard. I think this is a good combination for success. If you put effort into something it will eventually work out,” he says.

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Just four months into her Radiography undergraduate programme, Prof Izanne Human made a bold career move and opted to pursue a qualification in Environmental Health.

Her decision paid off and more than two decades later, Human’s contribution to the Environmental Health profession has been nationally commended.

The head of the Environmental Health Programme at CPUT, Human was recently awarded a Presidential Award in recognition for her contribution towards the Environmental Health profession.  The award is an initiative of the South African Institute of Environmental Health and is the highest national accolade for professionals in this field.

Attributing her success to her passion for the sector, Human says the profession is all about helping communities.

“Environmental Health is about preventative health. You are enhancing the quality of life through preventative measures,” she says.

Human has experienced all facets of the profession, having held high level positions in government and, over the past decade, built a reputable academic career.She has published extensively, is involved in peer review processes and is also an external moderator for several institutions.  Her expertise is also relied on by institutions in Africa who call on her when they need to revise their academic programmes.

“Academia is very rewarding. There is nothing that makes you feel better than knowing a student obtains success in industry. It makes it all worth the while.”

Human says her career has had many highlights, however, the one that stands out most is when CPUT awarded Dr Selva Mudaly an honorary doctorate in Environmental Health in 2016. The honorary doctorate was the first of its kind to be awarded in this field in South Africa as well as globally, and Human was responsible for authoring his motivation.

“He is the father of Environmental Health and it was such an honour to play a role in honouring him.”

While Human has already achieved so much, she insists that there is still much more to do. She has her sights set on more research projects, networking and establishing international links that will benefit students and CPUT.

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CPUT has been selected to participate in an international project that will help universities conceptualize an entrepreneurial vision and implement it in order to benefit all spheres of South Africa.

EMISha, short for Entrepreneurship, Modernization and Innovation in South Africa, is funded by the European Union and forms part of the Erasmus+ Key Action 2: Capacity Building in Higher Education programme. The project is one of six Erasmus + Capacity Building projects in which CPUT is currently actively involved in. Partners in the various projects include higher education institutions and organizations from Europe and South Africa.

Business Manager at the Technology Transfer Office, Chris Lombard, who is a key participant in EMISha, says the vision of the project is to “co-create holistically relevant universities through innovation and entrepreneurship,” with the objective to “embed entrepreneurial thinking in South African universities for the benefit of society.”

Universities must not be viewed as institutions that only produce graduates but must be relevant to society by playing a role in enterprise creation, poverty alleviation and the development of the South African economy, says Lombard.

“Entrepreneurship must become a systematic part of how we do business. This will help us fulfill our role in South Africa.”

Lombard says while there are various entrepreneurial related initiatives running across CPUT departments and units, the project will look at pulling all role-players together with the objective to create an institutional entrepreneurial vision.

“The focus is on a culture change in CPUT towards entrepreneurial thinking.”

For example, Lombard says graduates should not merely be job seekers, but should have the mindset of a “job creator,” while research must be relevant to society, addressing pertinent issues.

The project also compliments CPUT’s Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) Blueprint, a strategic policy document that guides CPUT’s research and innovation activities. The RTI blueprint advocates the production of research and innovation that is relevant and aligned to the needs of the province, the country, the continent and the world through knowledge discovery, excellence in teaching, and service.

The EMISha project is set to run over a two year period and will entail workshops, as well as staff site visits to the various participating European institutions.

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.

R15 million has been earmarked to boost internationalisation strategies and resources at four historic disadvantaged institutions in South Africa.

The IMPALA project, short for the Internationalisation and Modernisation Programme for Academics, Leaders and Administrators, forms part of the Erasmus+ Key Action 2: Capacity Building in Higher Education programme, a European Union funded initiative.

CPUT along with the University of Forth Hare, University of Venda and the University of Limpopo have been hand-picked to benefit from the IMPALA project, which is the first initiative of its kind solely targeting international offices at South African intuitions. The European partners who will be assisting with capacity building include the University of Antwerp, University of Bologna, University of Graz, Utrecht Network and the Academic Cooperation Association.

Merle Hodges, the Director of the Office of International Affairs at CPUT, who is also the joint coordinator for IMPALA, says the project was conceptualised after the European partners visited South Africa and saw the need to support the respective international offices in driving internationalisation.

“The international offices are extremely small. There are plus minus four people per office who have to support internationalisation at these institutions,” she says.

Hodges says the project aspires to develop clear and viable internationalisation strategies within South African universities to bring them up to par and give them a much needed head start for future international cooperation initiatives.

“We also want to build a network of European and South African institutions and organisations to respond to the needs in the South African higher education community.”

FOCUS AREAS

Over the next two years the IMPALA project will focus on internationalisation of the curriculum, short-term programmes and summer schools, project writing and management, and development of a mobility toolkit that will help international offices manage international processes.

The first training week will commence in March with 80 staff members from participating institutions, as well as participants from non-partner universities. The training, which will be facilitated by the European and South Africa partners, with follow-up training sessions scheduled for later this year.

Hodges says training will touch on relevant matters, such as decolonization of curriculums in order to produce graduate attributes that will allow individuals to apply their knowledge globally. The summer schools are also an important means for the internationalization of education.

“Summer schools are highly in demand. When professionally organised they can be a suitable way to collect funds from external sources, in particular from tuition fees. The profit can be designated to support the organisation of international activities for the benefit of local students,” says Hodges.

Project writing is another highlight of the IMPALA project and training is targeted at developing a cohort of university staff members who can identify funding opportunities, submit successful applications, develop and implement projects utilising international and local funding.

• CPUT currently has six Erasmus + Capacity Building projects and six Credit Mobility Projects

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.

Several years ago when Wighens Ngoie Ilunga enrolled for a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering he had his sights set on the mining and mineral processing industries.

However, fast forward to a laboratory at the Biocatalysis and Technical Biology (BTB) Research Group at the Bellville Campus, Ilunga can be found turning waste into a commodity, using environmentally friendly processes as part of resources recovery.

A Chemical Engineering doctoral student at CPUT, Ilunga’s focus has shifted from mining to using his skills to ensure a sustainable and safer environment. Ilunga is currently exploring how to turn solid waste sludge from edible oil industries into biodiesel, a renewable energy. This innovative study was born out of his masters’ research, which focused on industrial and domestic waste water effluents.  

INNOVATE

Although Ilunga found an innovative way to deal with the wastewater effluents during this time, he realized that some industries were still faced with the problem of disposing solid waste to landfills, especially waste sludge from wastewater treatment plants, a process that is costly for industry and contributes to pollution.

“I used waste sludge to extract monounsaturated components which are very suitable for biodiesel production and to produce bioethanol with the remaining lignocellulosic component of the same sludge. The catalyst used for the process was synthesised from mineral processing tailings, a waste from the flotation process in hydrometallurgy” he says.

“The novelties of this research are firstly the novel nanomagnetic catalyst, which can be magnetically recovered and reused. This minimizes the energy consumption when compared to conventional separation processes. Secondly, the integrated process for biodiesel production, where all raw materials are derived from waste. The use of agri-waste for energy increases food and energy security,” he added.

Currently Ilunga is conducting further testing on the catalyst and is improving the yield of biodiesel.

He plans to graduate at the end of 2017 and hopes to continue focusing on green research.

“My passion is to modify current technology or create processes that are more environmentally friendly, as well as cost effective.”

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.

An aggregate of 85% for four years has earned Kudzanai Nyamayaro, a postgraduate Chemistry student the coveted James Moir medal.

An initiative of the South African Chemical Institute, the medal is awarded annually to the top BTech or BSc (Hons) chemistry student at every South African university and university of technology.

It is named after James Moir, a pioneering chemist who, during the 1900s, played a significant role in the chemistry field in South Africa. He was renowned for developing new methods of analysis and improving others.

The medals add to Nyamayaro’s growing list of achievements.

He scooped the CPUT Dean’s medal, which recognizes the top achieving student in the Faculty of Applied Sciences as well as the CPUT Vice-Chancellor’s medal, which is awarded during graduation to the top achieving student at CPUT.

Currently working towards his MTech in Chemistry under the guidance of Dr Nikoletta Báthori, he was recently awarded the prestigious Department of Science and Technology Innovation and Priority Research Areas Masters Scholarship. His MTech work is based on crystallography (determining the arrangement of molecules /ions in crystalline solids), with a focus on the improvement of the properties of pharmaceutical drugs.

Only 24-years old, Nyamayaro has already co-published three papers and is currently working on several more.

Modest about his academic achievements, Nyamayaro says science is in his blood.

“Science runs in my family. Everyone is involved in science in some way or another,” he says.

However, Nyamayaro says while a love of science prompted him to follow a career in chemistry, hard work has played a huge role in his success.

“I work and study really hard. I think this is a good combination for success. If you put effort into something it will eventually work out,” he says.

Written by Candes Keating
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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