CPUT has beaten competition from hundreds of applicants to participate in the revered South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChi).

An initiative of the Department of Science and Technology, CPUT has been given the go-ahead to set up Research Chairs in the areas of Teacher Education and in Innovative Small Satellite Technology and Applications for Africa.

The Chairs aim to develop world-class experts in specific research areas who can contribute to the overall development of South Africa. 

Coordinated by the National Research Foundation (NRF) the Chairs are sought after in the higher education landscape as they provide universities with much-needed funds to achieve their research and developmental goals.

Combined the Chairs awarded to CPUT are worth R5 million.

Dean of Education, Maureen Robinson, says the Chair in Teacher Education will impact research activities in the Faculty.

“This will enhance the status of teacher education as a field of study in its own right, extend national and international links, and deepen our knowledge about the topic. In the longer term, one would hope that this would contribute to improving the quality of teaching in South Africa,” she says.

SCIENCE: One of the research chairs will focus on small satellite development.

Meanwhile, Director of F’SATI, Prof Robert van Zyl, says the Chair in Innovative Small Satellite Technology and Applications for Africa, will allow them to expand on their current research and innovation activities,

“It also provides us with the necessary long-term sustainability to plan strategically for the future.  The sky is truly not the limit for our Programme,” he says.

Deputy-Vice Chancellor Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Dr Chris Nhlapo described the awarding of the Chairs as a milestone for CPUT.

He said it will ensure that the University becomes a research intensive institution and makes a meaningful impact in the regional system of innovation.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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The Centre for International Teacher Education (CITE) recently hosted the Symposium on Teaching for Social Justice: 2023 at Cape Town Hotel School, Granger Bay Campus.

The Symposium’s theme was: In Pursuit of Equity: Disrupting Social Injustice in Higher Education in South Africa in a Post-COVID Era. CITE Director, Prof Zayd Waghid said the symposium was aimed to facilitate the discussion of ideas and perspectives that can transform and re-evaluate the prevailing discourses concerning social justice within education. “It presented a valuable opportunity to engage in innovative discourse, derive fresh insights, and establish collaborative networks,” observed Waghid. The symposium was established in 2023 under the leadership of Waghid, the current interim South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Chair. It is envisaged that the symposium will be held annually at CPUT.

In his opening address, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Dr David Phaho revealed that earlier this year, the CPUT Council approved the business plan to turn CITE from a Centre to an Institute henceforth to be called The Global Institute for Teacher Education and Society (GITES). The new entity is envisaged to focus on multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and innovation. “It would be the first of its kind in Southern Africa and aims to generate knowledge in the social sciences with a particular focus on building and promoting scholars and scholarship in the Global South.

“I do not doubt that the newly established institutes will continue to build on the exemplary legacy of CITE and continue to host these types of critical engagements albeit under a different name and a much broader academic agenda,” Phaho remarked.

He added that the drive for access to higher education for all deserving students is topical in South Africa and “beyond our borders”. “If there is one thing the COVID-19 has exposed, is the gross inequalities which not only exist between the Global South and Global North in terms of access to life-saving vaccines and other interventions.”

Prof Kirti Meno from University of Johannesburg provided a presentation on: Pedagogical Continuities in Teaching and Learning in a ‘supercomplex’ higher education system. Meno said demands on higher education in South Africa have resulted in universities having to respond to the multiplicity of needs of the new South Africa while still grappling with the constraints of the apartheid regime.

University of Cape Town Professor, Joanne Hardman’s presentation was on: A Vygotskian approach to decolonial pedagogy: Back to the future. Virtually, Prof Yusuf Sayed from Cambridge University, provided a presentation on: Crises, Education Policy and Teacher Education: Towards a social justice agenda. The symposium was supported financially by the South African National Research Foundation, and it successfully offered critical insights pertaining to policy and practice that included critical perspectives from both the plenary speakers and the audience. “The diverse audience, including academics across various faculties, undergraduate and postgraduate students and certain department officials in the Western Cape government, can further be attributed to the symposium's success,” said Waghid.

Furthermore, Waghid said a significant highlight of the event was the discussion by Phaho concerning the CITE, which would transition into a new entity called the GITES and would house three Chairs, namely the SARChI Chair, and two CPUT funded Chairs. “This is a significant aspect for the university as it corroborates its commitment to further advancing research capacity and output in international teacher education.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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The South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Research Chair in Governance and Economics for Water and Sanitation Sector Institutions, Prof Bongani Ncube, recently led a team of staff and students from the Centre for Water and Sanitation Research (CWSR) at the 25th WaterNet/WARSFA/GWP-SA Symposium, held in Maseru, Lesotho.

Organised by the National University of Lesotho and WaterNet, the symposium adopted the theme: Enhancing Sustainability: Upscaling Innovations and Best Practices for Integrated Catchment Water Resource Management (ICWRM) in Eastern and Southern Africa – Leaving No One Behind. The event gathered over 200 experts, policymakers and advocates, all committed to advancing sustainable water management and governance across the region.

Ncube, based in the Centre for Water and Sanitation Research, under the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, said the Centre for Water and Sanitation Research team contributed significantly to the discussions, sharing insights into water governance and sustainable water resource management for South Africa. Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Evans Shoko presented a paper titled: Water access conflicts among smallholder farmers in historical towns in the Western Cape. Ncube said: “This study, presented under the Water Governance for Sustainable, Equitable, and Affordable Water Services theme, examined the socio-political factors influencing water access among smallholder farmers in the Western Cape, suggesting equitable solutions to enhance governance in local water distribution.”

Kudzai Mugejo, a PhD Candidate shared insights from his ongoing PhD research, titled: The Role of Water Governance in Smallholder Farming Systems in the Western Cape. His research focuses on developing adaptive strategies to help smallholder farmers manage water scarcity in response to climate change, ultimately supporting regional water resilience. Refiloe Maphiri, a PhD Candidate
presented her PhD proposal titled: Raw Water Quality Deterioration and Treatment Cost Implications of Land Use Activities in the Overberg Water Supply System, South Africa. “Focusing on pollution sources in the Sonderend River, her research aims to inform cost-effective treatment practices that improve water quality in the Overberg Water Supply System,” Ncube noted.

Ncube chaired a special session on Water Governance for Sustainable Catchment Management in South Africa: Challenges and Opportunities. This session was co-convened by CPUT, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the Water Research Commission, the International Water Management Institute, and the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency, exploring the complexities of catchment-level water governance in South Africa. More than 30 participants attended the session, including the Board Chairperson of the Water Research Commission. John Dini from the Water Research Commission discussed regulatory frameworks and institutional challenges for catchment management, including high costs and expertise gaps in water governance structures. Dr Tendai Sawunyama from the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency explored opportunities in local water governance implementation and called for a review of funding models to support catchment-level management. Dr Barbara Van Koppen from the International Water Management Institute highlighted the overlap between statutory and customary water governance and argued for the recognition of customary laws for equitable water use.

Viginia Molose from the Water Research Commission presented on the Giyani Local Scale Climate Resilience Programme, demonstrating how community participation can enhance local-level water governance. Prof Larry Swatuk from the University of Waterloo, Canada, gave the closing remarks, advocating for regional cooperation in water governance, urging future water managers’ training through WaterNet, and creating organisations similar to the Water Research Commission across Africa.

Ncube added that the contributions of the SARChI Research Chair and CWSR team as well as regional and international expert insights showed the necessity of collaborative and evidence-based solutions for advancing water security. “This symposium left participants inspired and ready to tackle future water challenges, confident that continued research and partnerships will lead to a more resilient and sustainable water future for the region.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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