GRASP
Volume 2 | Issue 1 May 2018
Issue 1 | May 2017
A communication from UP’s Office of Government Relations and Special Projects
Building safe communities:
Hatfield Campus Village earns gold in Gauteng Premier’s Service Excellence Awards The
University of Pretoria (UP) was named a Gold winner in the prestigious 2018 Gauteng Premier’s Service Excellence Awards in the subcategory “Building Safe Communities” on 28 February 2018. The Award recognises projects that strive to mobilise against drugs, eradicate violence against women and children and build safe communities. It was presented to the University for its urban renewal and social transformation project, known as the Hatfield Campus Village. The objective of the project is to develop a precinct plan, implementation strategy and action plan for the newly defined Hatfield Campus Village and City Improvement District (CID). “We are honoured to receive this award and by the recognition of the role a project like this can play in the upliftment of communities,” says Dr Johnny Coetzee, project leader and senior lecturer at UP’s Department of Town and Regional Planning. “If we want to turn around and regenerate cities and communities and build quality, sustainable and resilient places and spaces, we need to work together across disciplines and organisations to ensure we are supporting strong and vibrant communities,” he adds. The Hatfield area had started to face social decay in recent years, leading to the establishment of the Hatfield CID to deal with cleanliness and safety in the area.
replicated in many other parts of the city and Gauteng – ultimately contributing to the vision of the Gauteng Premier,” Dr Coetzee concludes. The spatial and institutional development and management framework for the Hatfield Campus Village brought together project teams from the University’s departments of Town and Regional Planning, Architecture and Sociology. UP students living in Hatfield were involved in the project with opportunities to conduct research and assessments, and to provide suggestions. Specialist consultants and senior officials from the City of Tshwane also participated in the project. The project is currently being implemented and significant progress has been made. It has also drawn funding support from the Kresge Foundation in the United States (US), as well as from the US State Department through the US Embassy in Pretoria.
In November 2017, the project was presented to an international audience at the African Studies Association Conference in Chicago in the US, where it was well received. Positive results are already being recorded, with new interest in the area from businesses and other key stakeholders who are making financial or other contributions to the CID. The principle of CIDs and public-private partnerships is not new in South Africa. However, the way in which this project has combined various aspects of planning, management and development is regarded as a major breakthrough. Unique features include the holistic and integrated nature of the project, the extensive consultation and negotiation, and the strong strategic approach, which is linked to implementation and performance.
Working towards a safer Hatfield
UP’s anchor institution strategy is to lead urban renewal and social transformation projects around its Hatfield Campus. Accordingly, the University and the CID launched an initiative in 2016 to research, analyse and assess the current situation in Hatfield, as well as the organisational focus of the CID and its operations. “We certainly believe that this project and approach could be
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GRASP University of Pretoria
From the
Manager’s desk: The Office of Government Relations and Special Projects at the University of Pretoria
Welcome
to the first edition of GRASP for 2018. This newsletter aims to keep stakeholders in government abreast of activities at the University of Pretoria (UP), and of developments that may be of interest to progress local, provincial, national, regional and international objectives. The University is committed to contribute to the advancement of society by collaborating with all spheres of government and their agencies, as well as foreign missions, and regional and international organisations, with the resources at its disposal. In this issue, we focus on collaboration with local government (Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay) and, at the continental level, with the Pan-African Parliament. We continue to impress on the importance of collaboration between government and higher education institutions for development. There is no shortage of examples around the world where this had led to progress that benefits all. Higher education institutions are national assets to be utilised in pursuit of national goals and to advance the common good. The University’s research output is substantial, and it is impossible, in a publication such as this, to provide insight to all the activities and outcomes that can contribute to the objectives of government. Broader insight into our research activities can be gleaned from our annual research reviews. In this edition, we provide some insight into endeavours in the fields of energy, food security and health. In our regular slot on transformation at UP, we reflect on how teaching and learning has evolved. We celebrate the successes of Dr Mampho Modise, DDG in National Treasury, in our regular slot on alumni serving in government. Very early in her career, Dr Modise served an internship that launched her career. This emphasises the importance of creating opportunities for students to hone their skills in real-life situations. Given the extent of youth and graduate unemployment, we believe that government can make a substantial contribution to alleviate this challenge by affording internship opportunities to our students. By providing students with a small stipend to assist them with the costs of travelling and food during internships, government can make significant inroads in helping to solve this problem, while acquiring the services of capable young people whose performances can be monitored with a view to employing the most talented individuals in permanent positions. The article on work readiness provides insight into how UP graduates may be in a strong position to “hit the ground running” when employed as interns. We also focus on training courses offered by Enterprises University of Pretoria that may contribute to “upskilling” government employees to better equip them to deliver to South African society. We invite government to explore the available training opportunities. We trust that you find this edition of GRASP interesting and, as always, invite your feedback. Prof Denver Hendricks Manager: Government Relations and Special Projects (GRaSP)
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Leveraging research capacity for human capital development African
governments are realising the importance of providing adequate funding to their higher education sectors to produce the human capital that is required for development, and are intensifying efforts to produce up-to-date, relevant data on domestic science and technology systems to strengthen them and foster local knowledge economies. This is one of the findings that came to light in an article published by the Centre for Higher Education Trust, in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DST)-National Research Foundation (NRF) Centre of Excellence in Scientometrics and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy at Stellenbosch University. In contrast to the rest of the continent, South Africa’s scientific community is relatively robust, enabling the knowledge-based aid offered by donors to be tailored more closely to national needs. It scores well in terms of its overall participation in science globally according to indicators, including budgetary support, the number of researchers and research-output ratios. The knowledge community can be supported in various ways to produce a critical mass of local experts. This includes investment to facilitate cooperation between research centres within or outside the university system, funding for educational scholarships, and funding for new university programmes that are aimed at addressing country-specific challenges. The University of Pretoria actively contributes to local knowledge generation that can support national objectives. Government partnerships can greatly contribute to the success of research programmes in this regard.
Government partnerships
build competitive cities
As
part of the World Bank’s Competitive Cities Programme, National Treasury is facilitating opportunities to develop partnerships for growth and collaboration. One of the first cities to take advantages of this opportunity was the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. Economic development and problem-solving experts from the University of Pretoria contributed to the growth and collaboration conversations for the Metropolitan’s revival plan. According to Mr Graham Taylor, Spatial Planning Manager of the Coega Development Corporation, the process of developing a competitive city involves individuals from different sectors of society that share one common view: a commitment and passion for developing the city. “One of the lessons was that competitive cities do not overhaul their economics – they tend to simply get better at what they already do. They align their budgets, solve problems through implementation, mobilise people to provide quality outcomes, and include both the private and public sectors,” said Mr Taylor. The plan for the revival of the Metropolitan is a multi-tiered action plan aimed at improving the competitiveness of the city, eliminating extreme poverty and promoting prosperity for all its citizens. It includes activating the Apple Express in Port Elizabeth and upgrading the inner city, in particular the lower Baakens Valley. Other goals include installing a zipline, developing rock-climbing and abseiling in the valley, designing walking trails to join up with existing tourist attractions, and improving links with the Route 67 art display celebrating Nelson Mandela.
GRASP University of Pretoria
Collaborating with the City of Tshwane
Message from the Vice-Chancellor and Principal
to address drug use
The
University of Pretoria (UP) has partnered with the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM) on an anti-drug initiative known as the Community-oriented Substance Use Programme (COSUP), which seeks to engage with people who use drugs in the community before their use of drugs becomes a serious problem. Tshwane Mayor, Solly Msimanga, is particularly concerned about this problem in the capital city. He announced that the City would be allocating R40 million in the 2017/18 financial year for the implementation of effective and evidence-informed approaches to the use of drugs. He said that the City had put all its efforts into a multi-pronged plan to reduce the availability and use of drugs, reduce the negative impacts and educate communities on how to better deal with the use of drugs. According to Mayor Msimanga, workshops have been held in affected communities, and five key factors have been agreed upon, including the formation of a partnership with UP to assist people who use drugs to develop new skills, find jobs and resolve their substance use disorders. Prof Jannie Hugo, Head of the Department of Family Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences, says that, “for years, we have tried to win the war on drugs, and it has done nothing to reduce the level of drug use. Some would say that it has actually increased some of the harm done. So we decided to look at the evidence, consult experts, and do something that will make a difference, even if it seems controversial.” COSUP is a fairly new programme in UP’s Faculty of Health Sciences, which has had tremendous success in a very short period of time. It is a pragmatic, scientific and compassionate response to the prevalence of substance use in communities around Tshwane, and the impact this has on people’s lives, their families and the societies in which they live. Often driven by increasing marginalisation, economic exclusion and psychosocial dislocation, the use of substances is increasing at an alarming rate, impacting heavily on already suffering communities. The need for services has been evidenced by the number of new clients that are being registered at the different COSUP sites every day. Matome Frederick Legogo, a medical student who has worked at one of the COSUP sites, says that he has come to realise and understand the context of people who rely on substances, and how these substances often help them to cope in challenging circumstances. They need to be supported while they find purpose and meaning beyond the use of drugs. “One approach that is being used at COSUP sites to help people until they are willing and able to stop using the drugs” says Legogo, “is called harm reduction.” This kind of intervention helps people to understand the health risks associated with excessive use of substances and/or sharing needles among those who are injecting. Early results show that COSUP could be the solution to some of the most pressing problems that are faced by the people who use drugs, the communities around Tshwane, and the country as a whole.
Prof Cheryl de la Rey
Looking forward to fruitful collaboration in 2018
On
30 January, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training visited the University of Pretoria (UP) to observe registration procedures and gather information about student accommodation, student academic success and transformation. As part of its visit, the members received presentations from the Student Representative Council (SRC), labour unions and management. The Committee commended UP on the quality and upkeep of its facilities, its sound management and its progress with transformation. Another notable visit to UP was by members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources on 29 January to consider collaboration in mining research across the public and private sectors. The Committee was particularly impressed with the Department of Mining Engineering’s Mining Resilience Research Centre (MRRC). This bodes well for future collaboration between the University and the Department of Mineral Resources. The University’s business school, the Gordon Institute for Business Science (GIBS), has also been selected as one of the 38 global business schools that will be part of the United Nations Global Compact and Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) for the 2018/19 Champions Cycle. PRME officially announced the Champion Schools at the Global 100 Executive Roundtable in Davos, Switzerland on 23 January, coinciding with the World Economic Forum. The University continues to make significant strides in transforming the demographics of its student population. Of the new first-year registrations of 2018, more than 60% are black (up from 56% in 2017) and 57% are female students. The total percentage of black students at UP has now breached the 60% level, with black Africans comprising 52% of the total. Women comprise 56% of the total student population. These are but some of the positive stories that have characterised the beginning of the 2018 academic year. We trust that this will instill confidence in the University among all its stakeholders, and especially with government. We are strategically located in the capital of the country and we are ready to be of service to all three spheres of government. We have recently signed memorandums of understanding with both the City of Tshwane and the Gauteng Province, and we are also involved in significant projects with government country-wide. Given the successes mentioned above, we look forward to fruitful collaboration during 2018.
Vision: To be a leading research-intensive university in Africa, recognised internationally for its quality, relevance and impact, and also for developing people, creating knowledge and making a difference locally and globally. 3
GRASP University of Pretoria
Transforming teaching and learning practices at the University of Pretoria
Effective
teaching has always been a hallmark of the University of Pretoria (UP). Compared to other national universities, UP has higher retention, success and graduation rates. Several developments have impacted on the University’s teaching model. More students are entering higher education, but there is no concomitant increase in academic staff numbers, resulting in large classes, particularly at first-year level. The profile of students entering the system is changing. Some come from rural areas and are the first generation in their families to embark on tertiary education. These students are often financially needy, and do not always have the necessary digital literacy or academic literacy in the language of instruction. The possibly unreliable National Senior Certificate (NSC) results also impact on teaching and learning at UP, together with poor counselling at schools, which affects educational and career pathways, leading to poor course choices. This is the primary reason for student dropout. The public expectations of higher education is also changing, and is not always aligned to universities’ traditional mission. They need to provide for the public good, but also need to be socially responsive and meet the economic bottom line, while preparing students for the workplace. The accelerated impact of technology on higher education in the workplace also plays a role, particularly in terms of its impact on the delivery of education and the tracking of student engagement. At UP, tutors and advisors have become essential to support lecturers teaching large classes. Staff development has also focused on strategies for teaching large classes, among other things. Another primary focus is developing lecturers to facilitate online learning in a hybrid approach. This is the integration of and interaction between on-campus and online activities to engage students meaningfully in activities that promote learning. In the past 20 years, UP has evolved from a contact to a hybrid university in terms of teaching and learning. In 2018, it celebrates a 20-year partnership with Blackboard, the leading provider of commercial systems internationally. The platform – branded as ClickUP – gives students access to their material, lecturers and peers, as well as activities and opportunities for engagement. There is a growing body of evidence that shows that students working in an integrated contact and online learning environment outperform students who work online only or through contact only. UP’s own research in 2017 showed that students in the top quartile of ClickUP users outperformed students in the lowest quartile by an average of 12%. The University went all out in 2017 to promote the use of a hybrid approach
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Wendy Kilfoil
to teaching and learning. This was prompted by the fact that success at university counts, and also because digital is ubiquitous in the contemporary workplace. UP wants to prepare its graduates to be successful. It started from a strong base of 87% of undergraduate modules with an online presence in 2016 and at least three faculties presenting all their modules online. The 2017 data showed that both students and lecturers were more active than ever in the online environment. Strategies focus on understanding each student using data. During their first week on campus, students complete a Student Academic Readiness Survey and are referred to advisors and mentors on the basis of this early warning system. Advisors talk them through course choice and course changes, as well as study and test-taking skills, and time management. Mentors are allocated to students from rural areas and/or who are first-generation students. The Academic Information Management modules in their first year focus on digital and information literacy. All faculties have an academic literacy module. During their first year, all students have access to the UP Orientation Programme that enables in-depth orientation to the University. The University’s classrooms and other facilities are the traditional places to teach, but UP has transformed what counts as a site of learning. Its community engagement and development programme ensures that every student graduates with at least one experience of working at a community site of learning, thus ensuring the graduate attribute of social responsiveness. Most students apply knowledge that they are learning in local contexts to solve real problems while earning credits towards their degrees, although many do it as volunteers. With nearly 20 000 UP students actively engaged in communities within a 20 km radius of the University’s campuses (many of them in partnership with the City of Tshwane and various government departments and institutions, as well as nongovernmental organisations), the University is making a significant contribution to the communities, as well as to innovative ways of framing learning to achieve teaching and learning outcomes. Nationally, UP is the leader in the field of community engagement because of the developmental paradigm in which it works and in terms of its sheer size. Many programmes at the University lead to professions and require work-integrated learning, which provides some preparation for a future career. In 2017, free online modules were introduced that were aimed at readiness for work and entrepreneurship. Students can do these at their own pace and receive acknowledgment that they can add to their CVs.
GRASP University of Pretoria
PREPARING FOR THE WORKPLACE
The
world of work is continuously evolving, and there is an increasing demand for tertiary institutions to produce graduates who are employable in the sense that they have a range of knowledge, skills and attributes that enable them to succeed in the world of work and in life.
ALUMNI FOCUS DR MAMPHO MODISE: DEPUTY DG: NATIONAL TREASURY
There is no doubt that the 21st century work environment requires a much more multi-skilled and self-sufficient labour force. Graduates need skills to enhance their graduate and personal profile to be successful in their chosen occupations, both now and in the future, as well as skills that will assist them to meaningfully contribute to the workforce, the community and the economy. Dr Elmarie Liebenberg, Deputy Director: Student Services at the University of Pretoria (UP) says that there is a growing need for graduates to be work-ready when they enter the job market for the first time. “At UP, we aim to deliver graduates who are agile, who understand how the workplace functions and who can see how their skills fit into it. Graduates should realise that a degree is no longer enough to guarantee employment or a satisfying career. More and more companies are looking for work-ready graduates with job-specific skills, over and above their academic qualifications, with which they can start making a difference.” The University’s Career Services Unit has been specifically designed to provide co-curricular support to students, and to assist them in preparing for their future careers. In addition to offering courses in conjunction with Enterprises UP, Career Services also ensures contact between industry and students through specialised exhibitions, career fairs, career presentations and other forms of exposure to various industries. Staff members of the Unit also assist graduates to develop impressive CVs, cover letters and motivational letters. They also provide advice on career planning, psychometric assessment preparation, job searches, job applications and preparing for interviews, and present work-readiness workshops. The Unit’s Ready for Work initiative prepares graduates for the world of work by providing training for additional skills, including entrepreneurship. “Our aim is to set our students apart from the rest when it comes to succeeding in the world of work. We do this by providing our students with additional skills over and above academic competence and work experience,” says Dr Liebenberg.
GET INVOLVED! Register with the online portal, TuksCareers, to become a part of UP’s Ready for Work initiative. Go to http://upnet.up.ac.za/CareerHub/employers/.
Opportunities for government to support early career development
In
a developing country such as South Africa, job creation should be considered a top priority. This is because it has become increasingly difficult for the growing population to participate in, and benefit from, economic growth without sustainable job creation. Studies have indicated that some 60% of paid internships have the potential to lead to a permanent position for graduates. Internships can be seen as a significant stepping stone to help graduated youth launch their careers in the process of securing a better future for themselves and their families. Government entities are ideally placed to participate in internship initiatives in support of this goal. The Ready for Work initiative is one way in which government departments in all three spheres can contribute to early career development.
An exceptional example for young, capable, knowledgeable, experienced and educated women
Dr
Mampho Modise, Deputy Director-General: Public Finance in National Treasury, is a proud alumnus of the University of Pretoria (UP). Her academic journey with UP started in 2001, when she enrolled for a BCom (Economics) degree. After graduating in 2003, she went on to obtain an honours degree in Econometrics in 2007, a master’s degree (cum laude) in 2009, and a PhD in 2013 with a thesis entitled “Essays on determinants, spillovers and predictability of the South African stock returns”. She commenced her professional career as an economist with the South African Reserve Bank in 2004, where she started as an intern. She joined National Treasury as a senior economist in 2009, where she was soon promoted to Director: Fiscal Policy, and then to Chief Director: Strategy and Risk Management. She was appointed as Deputy Director-General in October 2017. Upon her appointment to this executive management position, the former Minister of Finance had the following to say: “In our quest as government to transform the economy, we are also headstrong about women empowerment, particularly young, capable, knowledgeable, experienced and educated women such as Dr Modise.” She responded by saying that she was looking forward to her new role of managing the county’s public finances, and hoped that she could contribute to improving the living standards of all South Africans. Dr Modise is passionate about supporting young people to embark on tertiary education, and earlier this year remarked that a system of phasing in fee-free higher education is the right step to support needy students and ensure that the majority of South Africans can study further after matric. “UP has always been my home mainly because it was close to home and the staff always managed to assist me with most of my queries. The professors in the Department of Economics saw potential in me that I did not realise was there. Such realisation pushed me to finish my PhD at UP. I could have gone to other universities (domestic or international), but why go so far and leave internationally recognised, qualified and very professional professors here at home?”, she said.
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GRASP University of Pretoria
Faculties at a glance
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World-class business school: Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
9 Industry-relevant faculties
Economic and Management Sciences
Health Sciences
Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Education
Humanities
Theology
Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology
Law
Veterinary Science
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS – FOCUS ON ENERGY
South
Africa is the country with the second-largest installed hydropower capacity in Africa. It produces less than 5% of its total electricity-generating capacity from hydropower. The Reconstruction and Development Programme White Paper of 1994 laid the foundation for South Africa’s developmental trajectory, focusing, inter alia, on providing basic water, electricity, health care and education infrastructure and services to all the people of South Africa. The electrification of urban areas in South Africa, including many informal settlements, has culminated during recent years. However, the electrification of rural areas still has a long way to go before most of the rural communities will be provided with a reliable and sustainable supply of electricity. Providing access to energy to remote areas in South Africa is an important research focus area in the Department of Civil Engineering in the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology. Small hydropower schemes can play a critical role in providing energy access to remote areas in South Africa as stand-alone, isolated mini-grids. Rural electrification entails the provision of a long-term, reliable and satisfactory electricity service to households in remote, rural communities via a grid, decentralised or centralised, renewable or non-renewable. Many consider electrification to be a fundamental strategy for poverty alleviation in terms of financial, energy and sustainable development. The concept of the installation of small-scale hydropower in existing infrastructures and rivers is a fairly new concept in South Africa. A series of pilot plants was thus installed to showcase the potential and intricacies in the development process of such schemes. These pilot installations included the construction of conduit hydropower plants in urban areas on water supply systems (Bloemwater, Ethekwini Municipality and the City of Tshwane) with funding provided by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the
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collaborating organisations. This also allowed for the funding of full-time students to work in the specialised field of renewable energy, which has been an important focus of government. The output of the studies has stimulated further investment by the City of Tshwane, in partnership with the University. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), through the WRC, also made funding available for the implementation of smallscale hydropower development for rural electrification in South Africa. The DST funding is part of the Innovation Partnership for Rural Development Programme (IPRDP), which is aimed at capacity building in some of the 23 identified distressed municipal areas in South Africa, as defined by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) in conjunction with The Presidency. Within the OR Tambo Municipality in the Eastern Cape, numerous sites were identified for the implementation of hydropower schemes to supply a basic service. The Mhlontlo Municipality partnered in the construction of a pilot installation at Thina Falls, which is to supply the rural community of Kwa-Madiba, with its 39 households, with a sustainable, renewable, standalone mini-grid electricity supply. The !Kheis Municipality in the Northern Cape will benefit from a hydrokinetic plant installed in the Boegoeberg canal. This plant will assist this rural municipality to produce its own electricity. Hydrokinetic turbines are also being installed in the Orange River at Aliwal North, which will supply electricity to the nearby water treatment works operated by the Joe Gqabi District Municipality. This research has been compiled in numerous research reports and journal publications. The aim of publishing this research is to create awareness, to assist in identifying and evaluating the hydropower potential, and to highlight the benefits to be obtained from generating even small amounts of energy from untapped sources.
GRASP University of Pretoria
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS – FOCUS ON FOOD SECURITY Food production depends on improved agricultural education and training
According
to a study by the Academy of Science of South Africa, the country’s food future is at risk because of deficiencies in secondary and vocational agricultural training. These range from a fragmented agricultural and training system to poorly educated teachers, a lack of funding and little to entice students to enter the discipline. According to Mr Frans Swanepoel of the University of Pretoria’s Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, the agricultural sector is not treated as an integrated system. Vocational training colleges do not offer sufficient practical training, and have a limited number of qualified teachers. The need for increased funding of the sector is imperative. It is also important to ensure that students who graduate from tertiary institutions have the skills that the sector requires. These include information and communication technology skills and practical training. This can only happen if the curricula of agricultural courses are modernised, and teachers are trained to impart the necessary skills.
Eggs tested unsafe
Almost
three-quarters of the eggs tested by scientists at the University of Pretoria have been found to be infected with bacteria. Prof Alexander Jambalang, Prof Elna Buys and Prof Francien Botha tested 468 egg samples from 13 different manufacturers in Tshwane, and found 73% of the eggs to be infected. The bacteria was mostly found in the shells, but also in the yolks and whites of the eggs.
New project launched to address issues at the water-plant-food public health interface
A
three-year grant under the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Programme of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the South African Department of Science and Techology (DST) was recently awarded to Prof Lise Korsten and her research team from the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. The research project will focus on characterising and tracking antimicrobial resistance in the water-plant-food public health interface, which is regarded as an emerging water, sanitation and hygiene issue. The mapping of antibiotic resistance in the agro-ecosystem will contribute to the implementation of the National Antibiotic Resistance Strategy Framework in South Africa.
SANRAL PARTNERSHIP BOOSTS RESEARCH CAPACITY
A
collaboration between the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL), the University of Pretoria and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is bringing about the establishment of an integrated Education, National Certification, National Reference and Research Laboratories Facility on the University of Pretoria’s Experimental Farm in Hatfield. Academic and industry research, as well as certification functions, will be conducted using the equipment in the new laboratories, combined with existing facilities. It will also accommodate practical and discussion teaching facilities for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students, and visiting scholars. This facility will form part of the Department of Civil Engineering’s new Engineering 4.0 Facility, which will be combined with a live traffic research facility and an accelerated pavement testing facility on the campus. The University’s strategic plan for the period 2012 to 2025 focuses on problems of national and/or regional concern, so as to simultaneously maximise local impact, while enhancing its academic stature and visibility in a highly competitive international world. Partnerships with entities such as SANRAL are thus focused
on producing quality graduates and research, while pursuing innovation, knowledge transfer and training opportunities. According to Prof Wynand Steyn, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, the vision of the new facility is to provide an internationally renowned platform for academic and vocational training support in transport infrastructure materials testing, a national transport materials reference testing platform, as well as high-quality research facilities and skilled staff. This will enhance the quality and quantity of the outputs and avoid costly duplication of laboratory facilities. Not only will the new facility benefit the three partner institutions, but it will also contribute to the South African pavement engineering landscape in general. More engineers who are skilled in transport engineering will qualify and the qualification standard of transport engineers, technologists and technicians will be improved. These skilled professionals will contribute to cost savings through improvements in design, construction, maintenance and transport infrastructure management. The country will also benefit from better-performing transport infrastructure and the associated reduction in user operating costs. Transport infrastructure construction will also have a reduced impact on the environment.
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GRASP University of Pretoria
Our
short courses not only promote skills uptake far beyond operational aspects, but also look at engineering fields from a more holistic point of view. This includes areas of management, finances and marketing. Many of our courses are registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) for continuing professional development (CPD) points for engineers and related professionals to keep up with the latest trends and developments, to stay on par with international best practices and to maintain engineers’ professional status. Specialised courses in railway engineering, presented in partnership with the Chair in Railway Engineering at the University of Pretoria and Transnet Freight Rail, provide a prime example of one of our many industry partnerships geared towards future-focused and transformative skills development. We also provide specialised advisory services across a diverse range of engineering fields, where we deploy multifaceted teams of experts in the public and private sectors to provide customised and innovative corporate solutions. Specialised service units also provide focused and tailored consulting services that provide solutions across the full service life cycle, from project conceptualisation to delivery and capacity building, using scientific evidence as a basis.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT UP
ENGINEERING
Embracing inclusivity, transformation and new opportunities in engineering training and research for the future
At Enterprises University of Pretoria (Enterprises UP), we pride ourselves on sprouting deeper roots in economic growth in our communities by actioning organisational change and business transformation as part of an all-inclusive solution for upskilling, job creation and research across various industries and sectors.
Exclusive specialised units in the engineering fields include C-AIM Consult for asset integrity management and Vehicle Dynamics Solutions for mobility and transportation-related research areas. Even though engineering careers and focus areas have become more and more diverse over the last 50 years, we enable both private and public clients to engage more seriously with current and future business challenges through an exclusive range of targeted short courses and advisory services that can be tailored to their specific needs. For more information on our full short course and advisory services offering, visit www.enterprises.up.ac.za. Enterprises University of Pretoria You have a plan. We have a way to make it happen. Ask us how. Tel: Email:
+27 (0)12 434 2500 info@enterprises.up.ac.za
FACULTY OF LAW SIGNS Memorandum of Understanding with Pan-African Parliament The
Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pan-African Parliament to advance the agenda of good governance in Africa. The collaboration envisaged in the MoU will be spearheaded by the Centre for Human Rights, but may involve other departments, centres, institutes and units within the Faculty of Law. A reciprocal relationship is foreseen. On the one hand, members of the Pan-African
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Parliament may benefit from attending courses at the Centre for Human Rights, and interns may be placed with members of the Pan-African Parliament. On the other hand, working with the Pan-African Parliament will provide an opportunity to further the research agenda of students at the University of Pretoria. One of the challenges faced by the PanAfrican Parliament has been inadequate exposure. The MoU therefore also aims
to increase the dissemination of material of the Pan-African Parliament, as well as information on its activities. According to Prof Frans VIljoen, Director of the Centre for Human rights, UP is the closest residential university to the Pan-African Parliament. It therefore has a moral obligation to get involved in advancing the agenda of good governance in Africa by more closely supporting the Pan-African Parliament.