A team of CPUT Mechanical Engineering students recently clinched second place in the annual Sasol Baja Challenge, which was hosted at the University of Pretoria.

This annual event sees students from across South Africa compete in off-road races, with vehicles they designed and manufactured.

CPUT is no stranger to this innovative event. In 2008, the CPUT team took the top prize and at previous events managed to secure second and third place.

This challenge aims to teach Mechanical Engineering students the reality of the engineering world. Each team, which consist of four members, is required to design and build a single seated off-road vehicle.

In order to achieve this, students need to accomplish all the planning and manufacturing tasks required when introducing a new product to the consumer industrial market.

This year, the institution entered three teams, which consisted of BTech and diploma students. Fareed Ismail, a lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department who coordinated the teams said students worked on the design from February to June. “Thereafter re-design and building took place,” he said.

Ismail said students were required to adhere to strict engineering rules and regulations throughout the design and manufacturing process. Students were also required to reach deadlines and goals within a specified period of time.

Ismail said the experience that the students gained from participating in the challenge is invaluable. The challenge allowed students to bring together a number of theoretical and practical skills which they developed over the past few years at CPUT.

Each year entries are judged in two sections – the theoretical, which consists of the design and safety aspects, and the practical, which is made up of the acceleration, top speed, skid pull, manoeuvrability and hill climb tests as well as a four hour endurance event. The winning Baja team is the one that can perform consistently over all the various sections.

According to students, this year’s event was “extremely hard.” They faced treacherous terrain and competed in bad weather. However, all three of the CPUT Bajas performed well and completed the endurance race.

Car number eight took second place overall, as well as second position in the endurance race and third place in feasibility of mass production.

By Candes Keating

Photograph: Car number 8 tackles a tough off-road course at this year’s Sasol Baja Challenge (Photographer: Eugene Arries, image courtesy of Motorpics.co.za)

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A colloquium on Web 2.0 technologies, held jointly by the CPUT and University of the Western Cape (UWC) Libraries, provided a forum for both institutions to explore new technologies that could improve their service to library users.

Web 2.0 refers to recent advancements in World Wide Web technology that provide the ability for users to collaborate and share information online. It is a topic currently garnering the attention of university libraries worldwide, as the role played by these technologies in the lives of students continues to increase.

The CPUT/UWC colloquium took place at the UWC Library Auditorium on 25 November 2009. Johann van Wyk, Education Library Manager at the University of Pretoria (UP), was Guest Speaker, and opened the colloquium by discussing the strategic plan that his library had rolled out in order to better utilise Web 2.0 tools and the generally positive response of UP students

Van Wyk provided examples of blogs that Library staff members had set up in order to provide online forums for literature discussions and environments for collaborative bibliographies.

“The environment has changed. A new virtual world exists. We cannot wait for them to come to the library. We must take ourselves to them,” he said.

The colloquium included addresses by UWC Library Director Pateka Matshaya, CPUT Informatics and Design Lecturer Prof Melius Weideman, UWC Lecturer Sandy Zinn and Nikki Crowster of Calico. CPUT Libraries Deputy Director Michiel Moll provided the closing address.

According to Moll, the CPUT and UWC Libraries are embarking on a process of increased coooperation between the two units.

“We feel that together we can achieve more and, as libraries, we are not in competition with each other, but both are there to serve our users. Projects such as this colloquium, closer working on an individual level and further joint projects are envisaged,” he said.

Matshaya said that she foresaw the two institutional libraries working together in the areas of staff training and development and in the sharing of expertise, innovations and IT solutions.

Commenting on discussions she had held with CPUT Libraries Director Dr Elisha Chiware, she said: “I strongly believe that, taking this relationship forward will be the responsibility of our staff as that approach will ensure long-term sustainability.”

The Web 2.0 colloquium was organised by Sulaiman Majal, Janine Lockhart and Yunus Omar of CPUT and Lilian Mitchell-Kamalie of UWC. The event was sponsored by Emerald, SWETS and Springerlink.

By Ilana Abratt

Photograph: Attending the CPUT/UWC Web 2.0 Colloquium were (left to right) CPUT Lecturer Prof Melius Weideman, UWC Library Director Pateka Matshaya, Library Manager at the University of Pretoria Johann van Wyk and CPUT Libraries Deputy Director Michiel Moll.

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The world renowned Golden Key International Honour Society is due to be launched at CPUT in the third quarter of 2009.
The CPUT chapter will acknowledge and reward academic excellence among the top 15%of the university’s BTech and postgraduate students.

Golden Key, founded in the USA over 30 years, is one of the world’s largest academic honour societies. CPUT is the country’s first University of Technology to join this prestigious group.

Membership of the Society is by invitation only. The Society includes students in all fields of study and is based solely on an objective evaluation of the students’ academic achievements, with the primary goal being to enable members to realise their potential. The initiative is being co-ordinated by Transformation Manager Sam Henkeman and Alumni Officer Nandipha Madadasana, who will act as the University’s Golden Key chapter advisors.

In preparation for the launch, a preliminary information session was held on Cape Town Campus on 26 May 2009 in order to inform shortlisted students about the benefits of accepting the invitation to the Society.

After being welcomed by Madadasana, the students were addressed by Golden Key South Africa’s Johannesburg-based Director Charlene Günter, who explained the purpose of the Society and answered student questions. Henkeman closed the session and the Dean of Students gave thanks to those who had attended.

The Golden Key initiative forms part of a bigger student driven project being developed, which is aimed at creating a sense of belonging, unity and developing a common identity among members of the CPUT community.

To date, the Golden Key Society has over 370 chapters at colleges and universities in seven countries including the USA, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand and United Arab Emirates.

In South Africa there are chapters at the University of Cape Town , Stellenbosch University , University of the Free-State, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University , Rhodes University , University of Pretoria , University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand .

Governed by an international Board of Directors, the Society offers more than $500,000 annually in scholarships and awards to its members, along with a variety of other opportunities, both in the academic and career fields.

A number of Golden Key chapters are involved in a wide variety of volunteer projects in their local communities such as Habitat for Humanity, Terry Fox Run, Make a Difference Day and various literacy service opportunities.

The Society’s membership stretches beyond academic recognition. Some of the offered benefits include graduate career assistance, scholarships, an online career centre, as well as leadership, community service and networking opportunities.

Golden Key South Africa is also an institutional member of the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) and an affiliate member of the South African Graduate Recruiters Association (SAGRA).

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: Attending the Golden Key preliminary information session, along with the shortlisted student achievers, were (third from left to sixth from left) Alumni Officer Nandipha Madadasana, Transformation Manager Samuel Henkeman, Charlene Günter of the Golden Key International Honour Society and Dean of Students Cora Njoli-Motale.

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A senior lecturer in Energy Management Systems, Dr Khaled Aboalez, has been awarded a National Research Foundation (NRF) C3 rating.

According to Aboalez, the C Rating is awarded to established researchers with a sustained recent record of productivity in the field and who are recognised by their peers as having produced quality work, the core of which has coherence and attests to ongoing engagement with the field.  “As a C-Rated Researcher, I will impart cutting-edge skills to the next generation of researchers whom I supervise for Masters, and Doctorate degrees, along with Post-Doctoral research fellows,” he said.

Aboalez who was awarded a PhD in Electrical Engineering degree by the Mansoura University in Egypt in May 2011 has been a Post-Doctoral fellow at the University of Pretoria in 2012 and CPUT in 2015. “I specialise in renewable energy systems optimal operation and control. My research is also extended to the artificial intelligence-based forecasting methods of the power produced by wind and photovoltaic systems…,” he added.

He is currently supervising research projects for Masters and Doctoral students at CPUT which revolve around the smart grids, microgrids, energy management, optimal operation and control of renewable energy systems. Aboalez sees the rating, which will be valid from January 2020 as a great boost to his academic and research career. “It will put me in good stead for funding applications to support my research in the field of smart grid and renewable energy systems.

“It was a long research and learning journey from Cairo to Cape Town, but it was a rewarding long walk for success,” the Egyptian national concluded. 

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Prof Johannes Cronjé is stepping down as Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Design and is taking on the role of full professor in the Information Technology Department.

Cronje joined CPUT in 2007 from the University of Pretoria where he had been a Professor of Instructional Design in Education.

His biggest highlight during his time as Dean was seeing the Faculty play a central role in Cape Town becoming the World Design Capital of 2014.

“Further than that it was to see the Faculty grow in academic maturity. When I arrived at CPUT, I was the only person in my Faculty with a Doctorate. We now have more than one doctor per department, and we have professors in all departments except two. I was also honoured internationally by being awarded the ICT Educator of the Year award by the Department of Science and Technology in 2008. I also received CPUT's Platinum Supervisors award more than twice.”

Another highlight was a research trip to Namibia with a group of postgraduate students.

“My personal favourite is our graduation robing ceremony that we have for Master’s and Doctoral students just before they graduate.  We invite them, their supervisors and their parents or spouses to a lovely breakfast, lunch or dinner, and then we allow them to share their thoughts about their research journey and pay homage to those who supported them. Then their loved ones gather together, and they help them put on their graduation gown. It is a touching ceremony and celebrates the apex of academic achievement. Graduation ceremonies are my best. That is why I was also so proud when the University's new academic gowns were designed by our Fashion students.”

In his new role, Cronjé will assist in teaching Research Methodology for Advanced Diploma students and also supervise a number of Master’s and Doctoral students in Digital Teaching and Learning.

“I will also be mentoring new up-and-coming academics in their career development. I will co-supervise and also concentrate on my own research profile to see if I can improve my NRF rating.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Two academics in the Faculty of Education have contributed two chapters to a textbook which introduces prospective teachers to children’s literature and details how children can be encouraged to become enthusiastic readers.

Drs Hanlie Dippenaar and Candice Livingston were recently part of a joint collaboration with the University of Pretoria in the writing and publishing of an undergraduate textbook for the teaching of children’s literature.

The textbook, Introducing children’s Literature: a guide to the South African Classroom was published by Van Schaik Publishers. The textbook, which comprises of 11 chapters, has been prescribed for first-year students in the English Department on the Wellington Campus.

“A lot has been published on children’s literature but little has been published on how it is implemented within the South African classroom context. This book deals with where literature fits in within the teaching and learning environment in the classroom’ says Livingston.

“It looks at how caregivers, teachers and parents play a role in the educational development of learners.”

She adds that the book also addresses how teaching should be done in the context of a decolonised curriculum which is demanded by the #FeesMustFall movement.

Livingston’s chapter deals with types of children’s literature, while Dippenaar’s looks at the historical development of the genre in South Africa in English, Afrikaans and IsiXhosa with a particular reference to oral tradition.

The textbook is available at Van Schaik’ bookstores and will soon be available at the CPUT libraries.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Efforts to develop Africa’s future energy workforce will receive a welcome boost with several universities in Africa identified to benefit from the roll-out of Electrical Engineering Masters and Doctoral programmes specializing in Smart Grids.

The DAMOC project, short for the Development of a Harmonized Modular Curriculum for the Smart Grid, is an ambitious programme funded by the ERASMUS + KA2 initiative, which promotes platforms for cooperation in innovation and the exchange of good practices in the international higher education sector.

CPUT’s Centre for Substation Automation and Energy Management Systems (CSAEMS) has been identified to participate in the DAMOC project, along with Stellenbosch University, University Of Pretoria, as well as two Tanzania-based institutions, which include The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology and the University of Dar Es Salaam.

Director of the CSAEMS and a leading expert in Smart Grids, Prof Raynitchka Tzoneva, will lead the CPUT delegation, who this month will attend the project’s kick-off meeting in Germany.

Smart grid technology is a highly specialized area of electrical engineering, which focuses on development of standard-based monitoring, protection and control integrated power systems that allow electricity suppliers to monitor the flow of electricity, improve transmission and storage, as well as facilitate the distribution of energy generated from alternative sources, such as wind turbines. The skills developed in this area are crucial for the development of the energy sector and will help address Africa’s energy woes.

“Envisioned outcomes of this project are new, interdisciplinary master and doctor courses implemented at partner institutions in Africa, running laboratories, online courses, and improved networking between the partners,” says Tzoneva.

The Masters and Doctoral courses will include modules such as emerging standards for smart grid, power electronics, integration of renewable energy into the power system, cyber security, and virtual power plants.

Tzoneva says specialised laboratories will also be set up at CPUT and the Nelson Mandela African Institute Of Science and Technology.

The European partners include Dresden University of Technology in Germany, Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi in Italy, and Karlstad University in Sweden.

The project will receive support from the South African National Energy Development Institute – South Africa.

The DAMOC project will run over the course of three years.

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.

A delegation from Indiana State University recently visited CPUT as part of a study group tour of four South African universities.

The objective of the visit was to learn about South African history and culture and to understand the different institutional cultures, according to Dr Tasmeera Singh, Manager of international Relations in the Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships Directorate.

They visited three universities in the Western Cape and the University of Pretoria in Gauteng.

Prof Hanlie Dippenaar, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Education, said the visit also served to introduce the Faculty to their colleagues from Indiana State University, and to explore possible collaboration between the two institutions.

“Such collaboration can enrich the educational experiences of staff and students by offering diverse perspectives and cultural insights to students and Faculty alike. We as a Faculty are interested in exploring joint projects and initiatives, fostering innovation and addressing complex global challenges through collective efforts. “Ultimately, such opportunities cultivate a network of international scholars, graduates, and professionals, promoting cross-cultural understanding and contributing to the goal of internationalisation, which is a priority in the Faculty of Education.”

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CPUT proudly opened its doors recently for the Global Institute for Teacher Education and Society (GITES) Annual Symposium of Teaching for Social Justice.

The theme of the symposium, held at the Cape Town Hotel School, Granger Bay Campus. was: Examining and envisioning education in South Africa from current inequalities to future equities – addressing social justice and inclusivity in pursuit of a ‘good society’.

Prof Zayd Waghid, Acting Director: GITES, CPUT, delivered the opening remarks and outlined the role of GITES. Waghid said the GITES Annual Symposium on Teaching for Social Justice was started in 2023. “The symposium aims to provide a platform for experts in the field of social justice education to engage in discourse around the need to transform society through pragmatic and innovative ways at the micro, meso and macro levels. The symposium aims to create an awareness of the need to disrupt comfort levels of t prevalent in various education contexts.”

He added that the symposium focuses on bringing students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, in-service teachers and government officials, by creating spaces for meaningful dialogue by bringing theory and rigorous research to practice and policy.

Keynote speakers included: Prof Jonathan Jansen from Stellenbosch University; Prof Thaddeus Metz, from the University of Pretoria, and Dr Savo Heleta, from Durban University of Technology.

In his presentation, Jansen gave reasons “why professors of education should not teach future teachers”. “We have not taught in schools for decades. We norm our teaching on middle-class school standards. We frontload teacher education with theory and literature, he continued.

“Because of these factors we are far removed from the routines of management and teaching in working-class schools.”

Heleta delivered his presentation on Eurocentric education under coloniality and neoliberalism: How to envision socially just and decolonised education in South Africa? He said decolonisation was not even a footnote. “Most university leaders, academia, and policymakers weren’t bothered with the coloniality of knowledge and colonial and apartheid-era curriculum that continued long after 1994. Epistemic decolonisation became a buzzword in South African higher education in 2015-2016, primarily due to student activism under the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall banners.”

Metz, a Research Professor of Philosophy, made a presentation on Being Excluded from Knowledge for Its Own Sake: An Underappreciated Injustice.

Reflecting on the event, Dr Yohana William said the topic that Jansen presented was important at the current juncture where South Africa, as many other developing countries, “is still battling with redressing the current inequalities in education for future equities and pursuit of a good society as the symposium theme suggests”.

William said the education system is not neutral. “It is a tool or an instrument that reproduces and exacerbates the existing inequalities and classes through both the existing pedagogies and political/hegemonic decisions characterising the schooling process (what is and what is not).”

Meanwhile, Dr Andrew Wambua said Jansen stated that love and connection matter more than correct teaching. And that consistency in school management is key. He said according to Metz, if qualified people cannot access higher education, then that is injustice. “Education should reach masses and should not be offered just for the sake of it.” He added that Heleta urged the attendees to decolonise “our curriculum and thinking”. “Education remains deeply segregated. Societal inequalities are often on display at and between universities. There is a need for critical pedagogy and decoloniality to resist neoliberalism, coloniality, and Eurocentric hegemony.”

In his take-ways, Dr Adedayo Theodorio said Heleta pointed out that multilayered injustices are happening across the globe and that the injustices in many ways influence higher education. “Challenges such as the absence of justice, oppression, and dissociations in South Africa’s society remain a sickening root cause of inequality in the society and higher education.”

Theodorio said the Department of Higher Education and Training should consider decolonisation fully instead of neoliberal visions. “SA universities could consider collaborating with local universities in SA instead of entirely collaborating with foreign universities.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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