CPUT researchers are making the institution proud.

From clinching millions in research funding to inventing new products, the efforts of our researchers has secured CPUT’s place as one of the leading South African institution’s for cutting-edge research and innovation.

This year, researchers’ efforts were acknowledged and celebrated at Research Day, held on the Cape Town Campus.

Speaking at the event, guest speaker Dr Andrew Kaniki, says it is important to celebrate excellence at a higher education institution.

ACHIEVER: Prof Charles Allen-Ile from the Faculty of Business received the Gold Award for postgraduate supervision

“This recognition of achievement is a clear indication that researchers are committed to the intellectual project,” says Kaniki, who is the Director of Knowledge Fields and Development at the National Research Foundation.

Kaniki also encouraged researchers to work towards becoming rated or improving their current rating.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnership, Dr Chris Nhlapo, says this year researchers have produced quality research results.

Over the past several years research output at CPUT has more than tripled, says Nhlapo. The university has also registered a large number of patents and registered a company.

SUPPORT: Members of the Research Department who are responsible for organising the annual Research Day, with Director Dr Tembeka Mpako-Ntusi (left)

Nhlapo says with the roll-out of the Research and Innovation blueprint activities with these themes will continue to improve.

Director of Research, Dr Tembeka Mpako-Ntusi, also applauded CPUT researchers.

“Our researchers continue to make us proud by their efforts, breaking through frontiers to new heights of knowledge,” she says.

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 Marketing and Communication Department is ending the year on a high note – scooping four prestigious awards in recent weeks.

The awards are: the Marketing, Advancement and Communication (MACE) Award of Excellence - Gold Award for SMART Graduation December 2021; the MACE Award of Excellence Bronze Award for Virtual Open Day; the Silver Quill Award of Excellence for Virtual Open Day and the Silver Quill Award of Excellence for SMART Graduation December 2021.

The International Association of Business Communicators – Africa Region facilitates the annual Silver Quill awards programme, which recognises business communication excellence across the African continent. It salutes work that makes a significant contribution to business outcomes, and that is innovative and unique. Entries are scored independently by two evaluators, who reconcile scores together. They review each entry against the International Association of Business Communicators’ (IABC) standard of excellence, ensuring that communicators can demonstrate the impact their work has had on business goals. The aim is to encourage the pursuit of excellence rather than competition.

The MACE Excellence Awards takes place annually and recognises and celebrates excellence and the achievements of specialists and practitioners in marketing, communication and advancement in the higher education sector. Out of 171 entries from universities across South Africa, only 16 were awarded gold and 37 bronze.

Some of the comments the team received from the Silver Quill evaluators for the Virtual Open Day entry included:

“I commend you on creating an engaging platform that is unique and novel, and very relevant to a dispersed and tech savvy audience.

With reference to the SMART Graduation entry, the evaluators stated: “Congratulations on executing the project in a professional manner. We liked the look and feel of your videos and slides, they exude a feeling of warmth and connectedness. Your key message that CPUT cares, comes through clearly in the work sample.”

A proud Dr Garth Van Gensen, Director of the Marketing and Communication Department, said these industry awards show that the Marketing and Communication team were never happy to be average.

“We consistently provided innovative and creative solutions to satisfy the events and marketing requirements of the Western Cape’s largest university. We reinvented virtual events in a way in which the higher education industry had never seen before, and I am very proud of my team for consistently pushing the envelope and thinking outside the box. That is truly One Smart CPUT thinking.”

In terms of future plans, Virtual Open Day will run in parallel with a physical Open day next year and will feature a new user interface that lets visitors experience CPUT by creating a metaverse-type experience that enables them to explore various parts of our campuses in 360 degrees.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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