The Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement (DVC: RIE) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) hosted the much-awaited, prestigious, hybrid Research and Innovation Awards 2022 which took place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) on Saturday, 25 June 2022. The event was held to celebrate and to recognise excellence and achievements of the DUT researchers and innovators.
In attendance at the esteemed event were the DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal – Professor Thandwa Zizwe Mthembu, the Keynote Speaker – Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela who is the SARChI Chair in Violent Histories and Transgenerational Trauma as well as the Director of Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest (AVReQ) at the Stellenbosch University. The event also had in attendance the DVC: Research, Innovation and Engagement at DUT – Professor Sibusiso Moyo; Dr Phil Mjwara – Director General: Department of Science and Innovation; Mr Wiseman Zazi Madinane – Chairperson of DUT Council; Professor Faizal Bux – Director: Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology at DUT, DVC: Teaching and Learning at DUT – Professor Nokuthula Sibiya; Executive Deans; Senior Director: Human Resources – Dr Vuyo Mthethwa; Senior Director of Corporate Affairs: Mr Alan Khan; Master of Ceremony – Mr Zwakele Ngubane who is also the Director: Advancement and Alumni Relations; DUT Academic staff; Council members; DUT researchers; students; friends of the University; partners; donors; and the awardees of the 2021 awards.
The welcome address was delivered by Prof Mthembu, who remarked that the staff and students deserving of the awards are cardinal in helping to build a DUT that is Different, Upended and Transformed. “We are celebrating people who are the source of our progress, people who are obviously the right people. These are propelling us forward,” he said.
The exciting part of the night before the awards ceremony included the dynamic talk by the charismatic Keynote Speaker, Professor Gobodo-Madikizela. She started her talk by acknowledging that she is a descendant of a group of scholars on whose shoulders she stands, who emanated from this region of KwaZulu Natal. Professor Gobodo-Madikizela relayed that the idea of inheriting from a generation before has to do with both blood inheritance as well as scholarly inheritance. She explained the significance of her father’s picture appearing in the book without his name and how her mom scribbled down her father’s name in the book. “I started this story to return us to the idea of the human beings that we work with in our research. I come from the humanities and our work in the humanities often connects with the people whose stories we tell, whose stories we analyse. That my mother decides to write inside a library book with her pen, with her handwriting, Mr WT Gobodo. and by inscribing the book with my father’s name but also reinscribing his dignity in this study that did not recognise him as a person with a name, just an object, a trader,” conveyed Professor Gobodo-Madikizela. She spoke of her work which in the past 20 years has been understanding the dynamics of forgiving and reconciliation. Professor Gobodo-Madikizela also emphasized on the spirit for Ubuntu. “Scholars are very powerful in defining. discourse because it is based on research, and so, because it is based on research, it is based on reasoning and knowledge, it’s on knowledge making, I think that here we have a powerful opportunity to produce knowledge in ways that make sense to us in ways that empower us,” she said.
Also addressing the guests was Professor Moyo who said it was exciting that DUT was able to have the 2021 Research and Innovation awards based on the 2020 data as these were postponed in the last year for a number of challenges, partly related to the breakout of the pandemic. She explained that this year is special in that DUT had the combined award ceremonies of the ENVISION2030 Institutional Awards as well as the Institutional Research and Innovation Award.
Professor Moyo emphasized that in total, there are 29 awards that will be given in the Research and Innovation space. She further congratulated all the researchers, innovators and postgraduate students who have contributed to the University Outputs that have had both local, national, and global impact.
The first part of the evening consisted of the ENVISION2030 Institutional Awards 2020 awards recipients. The eight category awards were:
1. Chancellors Awards – Impactful: African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies (AJIMS). The winners are: Dr Kunle Oparinde, Ms Vaneshree Govender, Prof Julian Pillay, Dr Rufus Adebayo, Dr Nereshnee Govender, Mr Theophilus Adedokun, and Ms Sara Mitha.
2. Chancellors Awards – Impactful: Using industry-based projects to provide authentic learning, teaching, and research opportunities for creative community-inspired solutions. The winners are Dr Ashika Naicker, Mrs Evonne Singh.
3. Council Awards – Distinctive: Partnering to improve the lives of a vulnerable population grouping: The Belhaven Harm Reduction Centre. Winners are: Prof. Monique Marks, Dr Sogen Moodley; Prof Ashley Ross; Dr Ingrid Couchman; Prof Bheki Twala.
4. Vice-Chancellor’s Awards – Creative: Curriculum Conversations – The winners are: Mrs Nalini Chitanand, Dr Shoba Rathilal, Dr Rosaline Govender and Mrs Roshnee Sunder.
5. Vice-Chancellor’s Awards – Creative: Using Photovoice to improve Teaching and Learning. This was awarded to Prof Firoza Haffejee.
6. Vice-Chancellor’s Awards – Creative: DUT manufactures 3D face shields and assist communities in South Africa. The winners are: Mr Ebrahim Asmal and Mr Rishan Govender.
7. Vice-Chancellor’s Awards – Creative: #Vikel’imvelo Project. The winner is Ms Thulile Ndlovu.
8. Vice-Chancellor’s Awards – Creative: Innobiz Project. The winners are Professor Sibusiso Moyo, Ms Nontokozo Ngcobo, Ms Lana-Ann Brady, Ms Nonhlanhla Khanyile, Dr Gnanam Pillay.
PART 2 – INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AWARDS PRESENTATION WINNERS:
FIELD-WEIGHTED CITATION IMPACT (FWCI) RECOGNITION PRIZES – TOP 3 HIGH IMPACT AUTHORS (2019 – 2021)
· Prof Krishna Bisetty – Department of Chemistry with a FWCI score of 1,68.
· Prof Bux, Faizal – Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology with a FWCI score of 1,65.
· Prof Innocent Davidson – Department of Electrical Engineering with a FWCI score of 1,63.
NRF B-RATED RESEARCHERS
· Professor Faizal Bux, Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology.
· Professor Monique Marks, Urban Futures Centre.
SENIOR RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Professor Sudesh Rathilal, Faculty of Engineering and The Built Environment.
WOMEN RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Professor Monique Marks, Urban Futures Centre.
JUNIOR RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Dr Zamokuhle Mbandlwa, Faculty of Management Sciences.
INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Dr Nokuthula Mavela, Faculty of Health Sciences.
CREATIVE OUTPUTS OF THE YEAR AWARD
Professor Debbie Lutge, Faculty of Arts and Design.
FACULTY RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Platinum Category – Professor Richard Millham, Faculty of Accounting, and Informatics.
Gold Category – Professor Santhosh Kumar Kuttan Pillai, Faculty of Applied Sciences.
Gold Category – Dr Folasayo Enoch Olalere, Faculty of Arts and Design .
Platinum Category – Professor Sudesh Rathilal, Faculty of Engineering and The Built Environment.
Gold Category – Dr Oludolapo Akanni Olanrewaju, Faculty of Engineering and The Built Environment.
Platinum Category – Professor Firoza Haffejee, Faculty of Health Sciences.
Gold Category – Dr Suresh Babu Naidu Krishna, Faculty of Health Sciences.
Platinum Category – Professor Nirmala Dorasamy, Faculty of Management Sciences.
Gold Category – Professor Dumsile Hlengwa, Faculty of Management Sciences.
Dr Kostiantyn Zloschastiev, Institute for Systems Science.
Professor Sheena Kumari Pillai, Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology.
TOP PUBLISHED DOCTORAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Mr Emmanuel Kweinor Tetteh, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.
FACULTY TOP PUBLISHED STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD
· Mr Kudakwashe Zvarevashe, Faculty of Accounting and Informatics.
· Mr Bakusele Kabane, Faculty of Applied Sciences.
TOP PUBLISHED MASTERS STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Ms Ayogeboh Epizitone, Faculty of Accounting and Informatics.
FACULTY TOP MASTERS STUDENTS PER FACULTY
· Ms Marijan Ilcev, Faculty of Accounting and Informatics.
· Ms Busola Dorcas Olagunju, Faculty of Engineering, and the Built Environment.
· Ms Somiame Okuofu, Faculty of Applied Sciences.
The vote of thanks was given by Prof Keolebogile Motaung Director: Technology Transfer, and Innovation. She shared her sincere appreciation to the members of staff who put the event together as well as the office of the DVC: RIE. “Honouring our research and innovation veterans will surely go a long way in the bid of the University to become a highly prominent institution internationally,” she said.
Pictured: DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal – Professor Thandwa Zizwe Mthembu with the keynote speaker – Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, at the awards ceremony.
Waheeda Peters
