Professor Bhekisipho Twala

Position: Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
Tel: 031 373-2762
Fax: 0373-2688
Email: prenitan@dut.ac.za

Dr Bhekisipho Twala is also a Professor in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), South Africa. Twala came to DUT after spending two years as the Director of the School of Engineering (University of South Africa). He also held several prestigious positions at the University of Johannesburg, including Director of the Institute for Intelligent Systems and Head of its Electrical and Electronic Engineering department. Twala was formerly a Principal Research Scientist at the Council for Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) within the Modelling and Digital Science Unit. Besides, Twala did his post-doctoral research fellowship at Brunel University in the UK, mainly focussing on empirical software engineering research and further looking at data quality issues in software engineering. ReadMore

Faculty officer:
Ms Neetha Singh
Tel: 031 373 2718
Email: singhn@dut.ac.za

Overview

The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE) has more than 6 000 students enrolled across the departments of Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Survey, Construction Management and Quantity Surveying, Electrical Power Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Town and Regional Planning, Architectural Technology and Mechanical Engineering.

FEBE will offer new degree programmes in 2018. The National Diploma and BTech qualifications will be phased out accordingly. Further information on the new degree programmes can be obtained from each department webpage. Masters and Doctoral courses are also available.

Focused research in areas including Membrane Technologies for Water Purification, Chemical Thermodynamics, Applied Computational Intelligence, Bio-composites/Nano-materials, Technology Station in Reinforced and Moulded Plastics, the Indlebe Radio Telescope, Real Time Power System Simulation, Renewable Energy, Transportation, Engineering Education, Sustainable Development and Human Settlement.

Vision

To be known for excellence in producing relevant professionals, who use engineering, technology and design, for societal development in South Africa.

Mission

1. To continually ensure that our graduates are socially relevant.
2. To ensure that the professional career orientation of our students is informed by the relevant stakeholders.
3. To provide an appropriate infrastructure to our students that will ensure technological excellence.
4. To ensure that learning and teaching in the faculty is in line with student’s needs and latest innovative practices.
5. To foster research and development that contributes to the national and international pool of knowledge, and that informs the undergraduate curriculum.