Postgraduate students recently received a warm welcome to CPUT.

The event, held at the Auditorium on the Bellville campus, was organised by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS)

The students received an overview of the services and support available to them including from Students Affairs, CPGS, CPUT Libraries and Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships.

“You are special to our country because you constitute the approximately four percent of this country’s population that will be possess such a degree. You are special for another reason: the value of the research that you will be doing,” said Prof Dina Burger, Director of the CPGS.

“Every day I want you to tell yourself: ‘I can do it’”.

She encouraged the Masters students to pursue their doctoral degrees next.

The event also saw the launch of the Ubuntu Postgraduate Forum, an umbrella body for postgraduate students.

Its aims include uniting postgraduates and promoting intellectual and academic interactions among researchers at CPUT and fostering good relationships between postgraduate students and the CPGS.

Students interested in joining the forum can send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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The Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS) has joined forces with the Research Directorate for a series of online workshops aimed at helping postgraduate students on their journey to graduation.

The workshops are facilitated by experts and the hope is that it will contribute to Masters and Doctoral students developing the skills and competencies required to successfully complete their studies.

Workshops for supervisors, co-supervisors and post-doctoral fellows are also available.

Dr Patricia Smit, Manager: Capacity Development, said the first few workshops were well attended. She said postgraduate students often have very busy schedules as many are employed full-time and therefore workshops are repeated during the year to allow as many students as possible to attend.

Wendal Koopman from CPGS, who is also a workshop facilitator, said participants had indicated that the workshops were helpful and that they were grateful for the support.

The list of workshops includes: Proposal Writing, Research Methods, The use of online library resources and reference tools, Research methods, Data Collection and Analysis, Fieldwork in practice and Writing for Publication. 

Smit encouraged postgraduate students to make use of the workshops and said the Research Directorate and CPGS welcomed recommendations and feedback from participants.

For more information on the workshops please send an email to Hlengiwe Nzama on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Prof Izak Van Zyl, who has been recently appointed as Director: Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS), says he wants to develop the centre’s academic capacity, in line with the university’s Vision 2030.

“I want to position the CPGS strategically as a postgraduate hub that offers more than just administrative support,” adds Van Zyl. To achieve this, he is working towards three goals, namely, to increase the number and quality of postgraduates (including postdoctoral fellows), to increase the number and quality of research and creative outputs, and finally, to enhance the postgraduate student experience. “Achieving these objectives will take time and energy, but they form a critical part of the five-year strategic plan which I have developed for the centre,” he reveals.

Van Zyl is grateful that since 2017 he had been working under the tutelage of great leaders in the Faculty of Informatics and Design “who helped me grow both academically and personally”. “I’ve forged strong relationships with colleagues who have supported me in my various endeavours in the faculty and broader university.”

He says he is very excited and grateful for his latest appointment. “It came as a wonderful surprise to be offered the position after a rigorous (and nerve-wracking) interview process,” he adds.

“I want to thank all colleagues who have expressed their support in the past few weeks.

“I am also immensely grateful to the previous Acting Director, Prof Dina Burger, for her encouragement and support, as well as to the DVC RTIP, Dr David Phaho, and all members of senior management, for backing me in this position,” acknowledges Van Zyl.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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