On the 4th of October 2019, the annual Research, Innovation and Engagement Forum was held at the Riverside Hotel. The event, facilitated by Professor Julian Pillay from the Faculty of Health Sciences, was well attended and featured Faculty Executive Deans as well as different departmental Directors under the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement. The giant strides made so far as well as areas of focus for 2020 in alignment with the 2020-2030 strategic plan were shared with the DUT community.
The forum was officially opened by Professor Sibusiso Moyo, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement, who gave an overview of the Research, Innovation and Engagement ambit at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), the strategic focus areas according to the 2019 EAPP (extended annual performance plan). Several units, centres, institutes and directorates under the ambit made presentations regarding their departments. Amongst the departments represented were the Institute of Water and Wastewater Technology; Institute for Systems Science; Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate; Technology Transfer and Innovation; Information Technology and Support Services; and International Education and Partnerships.
The forum also featured the launching of the pioneer DUT in-house journal – African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies. Additionally, there were four book launches which included the books such as Decolonizing Higher Education in the Era of Globalization and Internationalization, edited by George Kehdinga; Anti-corruption Education and Peacebuilding: The Ubupfura Project in Rwanda by Geoff Harris; Infrastructures for Peace in Sub-Saharan Africa by Geoff Harris; and Public Participation edited by Dasarath Chetty.
The outcomes from the Forum were on the changing landscape of higher innovation, the interventions around research capacity building, the increase in both the number of DUT NRF rated researchers, grant acquisitions and the need to strengthen the postgraduate enterprise both in terms of growth, graduation rates and quality of the doctoral offerings. It was noted that DUT was preparing its doctoral audit for 2020. The event formed a good network session that also introduced the new Executive Dean for Engineering and the Built Environment, Professor Bhekisipho Twala.
Pictured: The attendees at the Forum.
Story: Kunle Oparinde, Sibusiso Moyo and Vaneshree Govender
