Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships (SIP) recently hosted a delegation from two American district colleges, the Community College District (SCCCD), Riverside Community College District (RCCD) and EDU Africa with aims to build lasting relationships.

SIP Director, Prof Judy Peter opened the meeting with a short overview of CPUT, which was followed by short presentations on the background of each institution. Dr Lataria Hall presented the background of Fresno City College. Candice Soupen provided a summary of the purpose of the visit.

Peter said the objectives of the meeting was to explore student exchange programmes and obtaining information about opportunities, that can be relayed to respective university committees. Peter added that the meeting also aimed at learning about education systems, distance education, online opportunities and study abroad through distance education. 

She said they were also exploring opportunities for partnerships between organisations, possibly virtual exchange, virtual and travel exchange and traditional study abroad programs.

The also explored faculty professional development, virtually, and mobility programs and possible faculty exchange programs. The delegates also discussed early childhood, elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educational systems throughout Africa, including education in rural areas.

CPUT delegates also provided comprehensive information on what is currently available and offered at CPUT as well as any other alternative options currently available in South Africa to assist with information.  Peter said: “The meeting was very constructive, and all institutions look forward to further communication around the potential opportunities for collaboration in the areas of student exchange programmes, early childhood development and information sharing.

“It was noted that some of the collaboration areas could be in line with the CPUT COIL facility to address the objective of virtual platform for exchange students.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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As part of the 2030 vision and strategy for Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships (SIP), Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo and Director: Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, Prof Judy Peter, recently hosted the Finish Ambassador, Anne Lammila at the Bellville campus.

Peter said the University was expanding and establishing new bilateral collaborations with Nordic countries.  She stated that CPUT has active partnerships with Finnish universities; Oulu University, Aalto University, School of Science, School of Arts, Design and Architecture and JAMK University of Applied Sciences. “Therefore, the recent visit by the Finnish Ambassador, Anne Lammila, was welcomed in this spirit. The outcome was a commitment to share and look at opportunities such as ‘The Future is made with Finland’, reciprocal mobility possibilities for staff and students through the Finnish Education and Science Counsellor, Iina Soiri and the SIP office,” Peter said.

She noted that the intent is to magnify the internationalisation agenda to promote research collaborations, joint degree offerings, short courses and mobility aligned with CPUT's niche research areas: Research Focus Area 1:  Bio-economy and Biotechnology; Research Focus Area 2:  Space Science, Engineering and Technology; Research Focus Area 3:  Smart Energy; Research Focus Area 4:  The Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability; Research Focus Area 5:  Human, Health and Social Dynamics and Research Focus Area 6:  The Digital Society.

In the meeting, Nhlapo said the Institution has had a good, longstanding relationship with Nordic countries. “The Nordic countries are very good to us. Our students who go there find it easy to settle… We value our partnership with Finland, it comes a long way. It would be good for our researchers to connect with them. When we are there [Nordic countries], we are at home” he continued.

“We don’t want our post-doctorates to just work at CPUT or in South Africa but they must be hosted by international universities. We would also like our Master’s students to be examined internationally.  If we can start examining your students and you examine ours that would enhance the quality of our education.”

Meanwhile, Lammila said her aim was to get to know CPUT and to learn what the institution does with Finnish partners and the meeting was a very useful and pleasant visit. “I learned a lot about the university. It was impressive to hear how you work. As a country [Finland] we need this exchange to have more courses in English because [traditionally] our courses were all in Finish. We got some money to accommodate more students and doctors from foreign [African] countries… Ours is to benefit knowledge from what you have. We put more emphasis on education and science, if you are left behind in technology unfortunately the future is not yours.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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CPUT has one of the most transformed researcher cohorts in the country and we can do even more to boost those numbers.

This was the message from a recent meeting between CPUT Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr David Phaho and the National Research Foundation’s Deputy CEO Dr Gansen Pillay. The meeting was also attended by Prof Judy Peter in her capacity as Director: Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at CPUT while The NRF CEO, Prof Fulufhelo Nelwamondo joined the meeting virtually. 

Pillay visited CPUT to congratulate the institution for its recent win at the 2021 NRF awards, where Research Fellow Prof Moses Basitere won for exceptional performance for an emerging researcher.

The stakeholders discussed strengthening NRF and academia partnerships at CPUT and Pillay encouraged the university’s academics to take advantage of a range of excellent funding opportunities.

“We want to be a listening organization. CPUT has a very transformed research community here, the beauty of CPUT is that you are graduating work-ready graduates and as a university of technology you are closer to the interface for societal benefit,” Pillay said.

Phaho said the university was well placed to tap into the millions of rands of funding available at the NRF and would be implementing a few strategies to do this.

“Active grant management is one way of doing this and we will engage with the office of DVC: Teaching and Learning as well as Faculty Deans to ensure that our students, researchers and scholars derive maximum benefit from the opportunities offered by the NRF,” he says.

Written by Lauren Kansley
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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

CPUT recently hosted a high-level delegation from two German Higher Education Institutions – DHBW Ravensburg and DHBW Karlsruhe.

The aim of the visit, which was held at the Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Computer Engineering (DEECE), was to strengthen relationships between CPUT, DHBW Ravensburg and DHBW Karlsruhe and to engage in further collaboration between the institutions. The visit centred around the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE).

The German delegation consisted of Prof Dr-Ing. Herbert Dreher, President DHBW Ravensburg, Prof Dr-Ing Stephan Schenkel, President DHBW Karlsruhe, Ingela Lundin, International Relations Officer, DHBW Ravensburg, Prof Dr Stephan Sauter, Industrial Engineering, DHBW Ravensburg and Prof Dr Thomas Dobbelstein, International Business, DHBW Ravensburg.

“For us it’s very important that we learn from each other,” said Dreher.

The CPUT delegation consisted of Dr David Phaho, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, Prof Rishidaw Balkaran, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching, Prof Judy Peter, Director Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, Prof Veruscha Fester, Assistant Dean: Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, FEBE and several other representatives from the Faculty and from Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships.

Phaho welcomed the delegation and said the university wanted to ensure that it built on already great relationships.

Dobbelstein said his institution already has long-standing ties with the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, which includes, among other things, staff and student exchanges.

The delegation also had the opportunity to visit the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre

Earlier in the month a delegation from The Hague University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands and KU Leuven in Belgium visited CPUT and was also welcomed to DEECE.

The objective of the meeting was to renew the partnership agreement with CPUT in the areas of research, staff, and student exchange, amongst others.

The Dutch and Belgium delegation, which consisted of Sabine Amft (THUAS) Pepijn van Willigenburg, (THUAS) Prof.ir Annick Dexters (KU Leuven) and Albert van Oudheusden (UNSA) were welcomed by Prof Bingwen Yan (Acting) Assistant Dean: Teaching and Learning.

Written by CPUT News

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