Research Chairs
The Research Chair initiative is one of the strongest programmatic and practical intervention strategies for breakthrough improvement in research at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The initiative conducts national/internationally recognised research in fields related to the CPUT research focus areas. It aims to drive the research agenda through master's and doctoral supervision, research publications, and grant funding for research activities and conferences.
Research Chairs report to the DVC: RTIP through the Director of Research Development (DRD). Ideally, a research chair will lead or at least be linked to a research entity, and the work will align with a research focus area and its subsequent research niche areas.
CPUT Chairs
Prof Jeanine Marnewick Director: Applied Microbial and Health Biotechnology Institute (AMHBI) NRF Rating: C1 Prof Jeanine Marnewick leads research on natural product bioactives and public health, notably rooibos and honeybush. Her work translates laboratory findings into community wellness and strengthens South Africa’s bioeconomy. Dr Conrad Sparks Director: Centre for Sustainable Oceans (CSO) Dr Conrad Sparks (Interim Chair) leads research on microplastics, ocean sustainability and sector partnerships, promoting research uptake and skills development.
CPUT Research Chair in Biotechnology
CPUT Research Chair in the Oceans Economy (Interim)
External Chairs
Prof Bongani Ncube Head: Centre for Water and Sanitation Research (CWSR) NRF Rating: C3 Prof Bongani Ncube leads a Research Chair agenda spanning water governance reform, economic regulation, tariff design, financing models for municipalities, and the impacts of climate change and extreme events on water-sector institutions. The Chair is hosted at the CWSR, which brings together researchers, postgraduate students, industry partners, and communities to co-develop innovative solutions for water supply, water quality, wastewater treatment, water resources management, sanitation and climate resilience. Prof Agnes Chigona Director: Global Institute for Teacher Education and Society (GITES) NRF Rating: C1 Prof Agnes Chigona leads research into teaching quality, continuous professional development and policy-relevant scholarship. Her work under the SARChI Chair aligns with national goals to expand research capacity and generate high-impact educational scholarship. Prof Chris Winberg Director: Professional Education Research Institute (PERI) NRF Rating: C1 Prof Chris Winberg leads Work-Integrated Learning research, advancing research on curriculum innovation, postgraduate supervision and the integration of theory with practice in post-school education. Her work has positioned CPUT as a national hub for WIL research and innovation. Prof Glenda Davison Director: SA-MRC/CPUT Cardiometabolic Research Centre NRF Rating: C2 Prof Glenda Davison is a researcher in the field of non-communicable diseases, with a focus on cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This work addresses some of South Africa’s most pressing health challenges by investigating the molecular and clinical mechanisms underlying disease development. Through the identification of novel biomarkers, her research seeks to improve risk prediction, facilitate earlier diagnosis, and support the development of effective prevention strategies. Prof Tiko Iyamu NRF Rating: C2 Prof Tiko Iyamu’s areas of interest include enterprise architecture, health informatics, big data analytics, mobile computing, and IT strategy. He is an Editorial Board member of the South African Journal of Information Management; an Associate Editor of the Journal: The African Journal of Information Systems (AJIS). Iyamu has received several awards for research and excellence in supervising postgraduate students. Prof Zayd Waghid NRF Rating: C3 Prof Zayd Waghid is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at CPUT. Prof Waghid is a recipient of multiple teaching and research excellence awards, a keynote at several local and international conferences, a DHET Future Professors Fellow and was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Cornell University. His Chair focuses on four interconnected focus areas: Prof Jennifer Case NRF Rating: B1 Prof Jennifer Case leads a community of scholars who are pursuing key research questions in engineering education relating to the student experience, improving teaching and learning, innovations in curriculum, and transitions to the workplace. This chair positions CPUT as a global leader in engineering education, with a particular focus on global South contexts and the university of technology environment.
NRF SARChI Co-funded Research Chair in Governance & Economics for Water & Sanitation Sector Institutions
NRF Research SARChI Chair in Teacher Education
NRF Research SARChI Chair in Work-Integrated Learning
NRF–Nedbank SARChI Chair in Cardiometabolic Health
DSI/NRF Decadal-Planned Aligned Research Chair in ICT for Development: Innovation for Smart and Sustainable Development
DSI/NRF Decadal-Planned Aligned Research Chair in Transformative Education, Social Justice and Innovation
DSI/NRF Decadal-Planned Aligned Research Chair in Engineering Education
