CPUT will highlight Design for Sustainable Development in Africa as it celebrates Africa Day 2013.

In its Research, Technology Innovation (RTI) 10 Year Blueprint, CPUT identifies Design for Sustainability as one of seven Research and Innovation focus areas that will inform its strategies to “strengthen research and foreground innovation and best practices effectively across the institution”.

The RTI blueprint, in support of CPUT’s Vision 2020 is designed to provide the institution with “a strategic frame within which it seeks to produce research and innovation which is relevant and which is aligned to the needs of the province, the country, the continent. This year’s Africa Day’s theme will lend support to the commencement of an institutional discourse of our research focus areas, and on Design for Sustainability in particular.CPUT recognises that design and its associated processes across all disciplines, is a powerful catalyst for change that can enable more sustainable ways of living. Central to this is Design Thinking and practice. Individuals who take this approach to design consider the deeper social, cultural, economic, environmental, and technological aspects of any product, system or service development.  Those attending the Africa Day celebrations will get an opportunity to hear from a renowned advocate of sustainable design - Saki Mafundikwa.The Director of the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts, Mafundikwa will deliver the keynote address and reflect on sustainable design and its importance for the development of the African continent.The event takes place at the Auditorium on the Bellville Campus from 10:00 – 13:00

Written by CPUT News

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Africa Day celebrations at CPUT marked the launch of the institution’s Design for Sustainability research focus area.

This focus area is one of seven outlined in the institution’s Research, Technology Innovation (RTI) 10 Year Blueprint.The RTI blueprint, in support of CPUT’s Vision 2020, is designed to provide the institution with “a strategic frame within which it seeks to produce research and innovation which is relevant and which is aligned to the needs of the province, the country, the continent.

CPUT recognises that design and its associated processes across all disciplines, is a powerful catalyst for change that can enable more sustainable ways of living. Central to this is Design Thinking and practice. Individuals who take this approach to design consider the deeper social, cultural, economic, environmental, and technological aspects of any product, system or service development.  Prof Saki Mafundikwa, the Director of the Zimbabwe Institute of Digital Arts, who delivered the keynote address at the event, reflected on sustainable design on the Africa continent. Mafundikwa says design has its roots in Africa and must play a role in its development.Respondents to Mafundikwa’s address, which included CPUT Design Thinkers, Prof Mugendi M’Rithaa, Nigel Tapela and Bruce Snaddon, echoed his sentiments, pointing out that sustainable design is the way forward for the development of South Africa and the continent.

Written by Candes Keating
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Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) efforts at CPUT took another step forward when some of the institution’s research strategic goals, with regard to capacity development, were implemented through the rollout of the first programme for rated and young emerging researchers.

The RTI capacity building programme is coordinated by the office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, Dr Chris Nhlapo, in conjunction with the Learning and Development Department and the Research Directorate.

Dr Nhlapo says the programme is designed to ensure that all capacity development interventions are woven into a comprehensive and sustainable initiative in order to realise the strategic objectives of CPUT’s RTI blueprint.

The first two workshops in the programme covered funding proposals for the NRF’s Competitive Programme for Rated Researchers and the Sabbatical Grants to Complete Doctoral Degrees.

The former is a discipline-based funding instrument which supports basic research as the foundation of knowledge production in Humanities, Social and Natural Sciences while the latter was introduced to improve academic qualifications of staff.

Nhlapo says he is pleased with the enthusiasm of researchers to capacitate themselves as it provides an impetus for him to realise his vision to strengthen research and innovation and thus achieve VISION 2020.

The workshops were presented by Ferdie Van der Walt, a renowned research facilitator.

Van der Walt says these are structured programmes with specific milestones and will incorporate continuous monitoring to ensure successful capacity development outcomes. He says there are already a number of interventions planned for the remainder of 2013 and the entire 2014 academic year.

Prof Shaun Pather, Head of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the DVC, Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, says to date the approach to capacity building has been uncoordinated and largely reactive.

“We have now incepted a programmatic plan of action which aims to ensure we achieve strategic targets such as the requisite number of staff with PHds, and a bigger cohort of rated researchers,” he says.

“The consolidated RTI capacity development programme is thus in line with our strategic objectives.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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