The Community Engagement Office under the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement (DVC: RIE) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) hosted the Community Engagement Showcase, Pitching, and Excellence Awards 2022 at the DUT Hotel School, Ritson campus and online on Wednesday, 14 December 2022.
This prestigious event was held to recognise the DUT staff and students who have showcased excellence in community engagement projects. The programme director was Ms Philisiwe Cele from the Research and Postgraduate Support unit at DUT. She began by introducing Dr Kira Erwin from the Urban Futures Centre at DUT, who delivered the welcome remarks on behalf of the Acting DVC: RIE, Professor Keolebogile Motaung.
Dr Erwin said even though Prof Motaung was not present at the event, she is in full support of the awards ceremony and community engagement.
“The thing that often takes our breath away about DUT is just the scope of what happened here with community engagement, from outreach programmes to large complex projects working with partners in communities. It is not to try and uplift and change for the better but to generate new knowledge with people. For me what makes everyone in this room worth celebrating is that you also play a fundamental role in thinking through what universities are in society today,” said Dr Erwin.
She expressed a big thank you to all the community engagement participants, saying community engagement is important in working for making a better, equal and fair society.
The keynote speaker was Ms Cynthia Moyo who is the Operations and Human Resources Director at DUT’s spin-off company, Sholab Nutraceuticals and a former Enactus DUT President.
As an entrepreneur, Moyo provides consulting services to new ventures, helping them to register their businesses, develop their brands, design and manage their websites as well as establish and develop their company policies and procedures. She continues to mentor students in the entrepreneurship programme at Enactus, where she is a member of the Business Advisory Board.
“Over the past decades, there have been massive changes in how universities interact with the wider society. Through community engagement, universities interact with all facets of society for mutual benefit. However, this concept of community engagement has often been misunderstood by some to mean charity activities. Contrary to this belief, a widely more accepted definition sees community engagement as ways in which university staff, students, and management interact with communities to establish mutually beneficial partnerships,” explained Moyo.
She spoke at length about the importance of community engagement, stating that it teaches students to be more socially and economically aware which are all traits that employers look for in job seekers.
Presenting the Community Engagement Showcase and Pitching Awards 2022 winners was Ms Noxolo Memela, the DUT Communications Manager.
Under the students category, the winners were:
3rd Prize Winner: Sakhisizwe Campaign.
2nd Prize Winner: Nutrition Education Programme.
1st Prize Winner: Greenholics
Under the staff category, the winners were:
3rd Prize Winner: Physical Science Practicals for Schools Programme.
2nd Prize Winner: Circles of Love and Care: Embracing Children and Families at Flood Relief Centres in KwaDabeka.
Joint 1st Prize Winner: Measure Blood Pressure Screening Project and Improving Lives in the Warwick Avenue Markets.
Providing entertainment before the announcement of the Community Engagement Excellence 2022 winners was DUT’s Dr Mzwandile Khumalo.
Presenting the Excellence winners was Ms Lana Brady from innobiz Enactus DUT. The winners were as follows:
Community Engagement Student of the Year: Zakhe Khuzwayo.
Community Engagement Staff of the Year: Dr Charmaine Korporaal
Community Engagement Social Partner of the Year: Ngodini Bunduz Adventure Park.
Community Engagement Team of the Year: Warwick Zero-Waste Project Team.
Presenting the Special Awards and delivering the vote of thanks was
The Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Mr Crispin Henson with UFC’s Professor Monique Marks.
the DUT Community Engagement Practitioner, Ms Phumzile Xulu.
The special award went to the late Ms Nomfundo Mbatha who was awarded the Community Engagement Ambassador Commendation. The Lifetime Achievement award went to Mr Crispin Hemson, the former International Centre of Nonviolence (ICON) Director at DUT.
Pictured: The Community Engagement Team of the Year: Warwick Zero-Waste Project Team after receiving their award.
Simangele Zuma
