The Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) hosted the 2023 Faculty Research Day. The prestigious event was held at Coastlands Musgrave Hotel on Friday, 17 November 2023.
The FAS Research Day is an annual event where the faculty invites staff members and students from all 10 departments to showcase their research successes. The event gave researchers and guests the opportunity to network and engage about their research.
FAS Executive Dean, Professor Suren Singh delivered the opening welcome. Prof Singh said that this is the faculty’s fifth Research Day, and it is really an honour. He regards the meeting as a self-conversion of mind interactions, intellectual curiosity, sharing of ideas and how the faculty can raise the bar of research.
“I think each and every one of you that is here, I do know that there is probably about 130 that are in attendance that will contribute to the research landscape of the faculty, of the university and add the vibrancy and dimension of how we are trying to push research,” said Prof Singh.
The guest speaker for the day was Dr Vuyisile Phehane, Executive: Bio Economy from the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA). Dr Phehane said that as funders in the national system of innovation, they see way more multi-disciplinary applications coming through. These are the essence of the conversions of technologies and the conversions of skills. They receive many applications and large innovation programmes which range between R10 million to R50 million up to a billion rand. He also encouraged DUT staff to utilise the TIA services.
“We do encourage DUT staff to approach us, as TIA, we can support the work that they do, but ultimately to ensure that these innovations make it into the market for the benefit of our citizens as a country but also as far a s the African continent is concerned, ” he said.
TIA is an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and was established to promote the development and expansion, in the public interest of discoveries, inventions, innovations and improvements.
Attendees at the 2023 Faculty Research Day.
The Faculty of Applied Sciences Research Day had five sessions which comprised of more than 30 oral and poster presentations, highlighting research developments and achievements. The presenters included staff and postgraduate students at Masters and Doctoral level. Each session was guided by a chairperson. After each presentation, the audience engaged in a question-and-answer session with the presenter.
Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Professor Tukayi Kudanga, delivered the vote of thanks and concluding remarks. He thanked Dr Phehane for availing himself for the event and his key interest in the presentations. Prof Kudanga also thanked the staff and students for the excellent presentations. He went on to express his gratitude to the Research Coordinator, Mrs Kameshnee Mellem and her organising committee, and the entire Faculty of Applied Sciences for contributing to such a prestigious event.
Pictured: Faculty of Applied Sciences, Professor Suren Singh.
Sibahle Ngcobo
