Author Archives: Lauren Kansley

About Lauren Kansley

Lauren is a Communication Officer in the Marketing and Communication Department. She writes stories about general news and the faculties of Health and Wellness Sciences and Informatics and Design. Tel: +27 21 953 8646 Email: kansleyl@cput.ac.za

Electric Scooter is answer to transport woes

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An initiative to alleviate inner city congestion has won a R50 000 award and is set to revolutionise how people commute.

The Watt Scooter is the brainchild of Industrial Design staff and students and has already gotten the attention of Rhodes University which grapples with an over reliance on cars by its students at its Grahamstown campus.

The Watt Scooter also suits CPUT student needs with it’s’ variety of campuses spread out across the Cape Town central business district.

The electric scooter can manage weights of 125km, a range of around 20km and a top speed of 25km on a two hour charge and thanks to its sturdy wheels and upright design can confidently tackle hills.

BTech student Mikhail Wertheim Aymes who is a collaborator on the project along with lecturers Craig Finnan, Johan van Niekerk and Daryn Molenaar says Watt Scooter’s long term goal is to provide a student transport share system.

“It locks up easily like a bike and our next step is to develop docking stations which could be activated by your student card,” he says.

The Watt Scooter won the Innovation Award at Design Indaba recently and was commended for its local design and the fact that the technology is easily upgradable.

Now the team are planning on using the prize to explore docking station options.

The Watt Scooter was such a hit with Design Indaba patrons that pre-orders for it are already sold out.

Holocaust centre visit changes students’ world view

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A three day visit to the Holocaust Centre in Cape Town has forever changed the way a group of CPUT students view the world.

The Public Relations students were split into three groups and each group spent one day learning about the Holocaust and the horrific impact prejudice can have.

PR lecturer Ayesha Toyer says it was her class’s first visit to the centre but she planned on returning annually and also encouraged other lecturers to explore class visits.

“For many, it was their first experience with any content from the Holocaust and they were deeply moved by all the material they came into contact with,” she says.

The students also appreciated the generosity of the centre in hosting them and said they had grown their opinions on topics like propaganda and South Africa’s own apartheid legacy.

Some of the anonymous student comments shared after the visit included;The similar history that Jewish people share with black people is interesting and hopefully the two nations will come together as one.

It has given me a lot of knowledge about the mass murder that happened in WW2 and also the link between the Holocaust and apartheid. The most important point I learnt was the influence of propaganda on people’s minds.

 

And all that jazz

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For nine years Public Relations lecturer Ayesha Toyer has been getting industry experience at one of the most prominent music events in the country- The Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF). Here she explains why she has done it for so many years and what keeps her going….

How did your relationship with CTIJF come about?

I started with the CTIJF in 2007. I just graduated and started working at CPUT as a junior lecturer. Desperate for more industry experience I agreed to take a colleagues place as a Media Liaison working with the TV crews. I jumped at the opportunity and they were so impressed, they called me back the following year and the rest as they say, is history…

Of course the relationship now includes your students as well (this year 24 of them volunteered their assistance) Do you feel anxious that they have quite a big responsibility riding on their inexperienced shoulders?

Not at all. A rather rigorous process is followed before they are selected. They are chosen based on academic excellence, proven expertise in project management and practical experience. They are also considered based on their eagerness to learn and experience new things. More than anything, we select those who work hard and stand out among their peers. We then provide four separate training opportunities and they write a test to prepare them for the festival. They will not be accredited if they are not ready! I therefore have full confidence in their ability and simply sit back and watch them shine. One of the volunteers who worked with me at the festival for four years is now working full time, in the Media Department at the festival.

How do you stay sane between classes, exams and marking coupled with the demands associated with Jazz Fest?

An endless supply of sparkling water and a 1.5 litre flask of coffee which is my guilty pleasure. Also knowing that all of my favourite shows are waiting for me on PVR gives me consolation. Even my beloved little dog moved in with my best friend until after the festival because I am never home. Finally having the support of my department; my HOD, and colleagues definitely help.

What do you get from participating in this experience, apart from a frontline seat to one of the best shows on earth!

I never get to watch the show actually. In the 9 years I’ve worked at the festival, not once have I watched a performance. As a lecturer at a vocational university like CPUT, it is essential for any academic to have considerable industry experience. That knowledge is immeasurable in the classroom. It makes me a better lecturer and researcher because I understand the industry. It also provides my students with an opportunity to work at a world-class event in a meaningful way, in a way where they will actually acquire skills and learn something meaningful from the overall experience.

Will you be back for more next year? 

Yes, they can’t get rid of me…

 

Together at last

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Together these ladies have 96 years of experience handling every kind of CPUT related query you can imagine.

In March the switchboard operators from Bellville and Cape Town joined the call centre to form a cohesive customer service unit. They joined the existing team of student assistants and CPUT now has 14 operators handling a variety of queries across a number of platforms including social media, email and telephone.

The unit is now embarking on a drive to update everyone at CPUT’s details. This issue has frustrated many staff members for years and call centre supervisor Damian Ghansar is determined to eliminate the issue.

“Anyone who has the wrong contact details captured can contact me and we will sort it out,” he says.

Email Ghansar at ghansard@cput.ac.za.

CPUT is BBBEE compliant

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CPUT has successfully completed a BBBEE verification exercise for the first time.

BBBEE status is beneficial to tender processes and the acquisition of funding for a variety of projects currently running at the institution.

Our current status also makes CPUT an attractive business partner because our compliance adds value to whatever deals are brokered with the institution.

Contracts Officer Mariam Hartley says the status could not have come at a better time since the codes of practice governing BBBEE is about to change in May.

“That may have meant we would have had to restart the process or needed to comply with a whole new set of codes,” she says.

Acting Executive Director Finance Maresce Geduld-Jeftha commended Hartley for her hard work during the process.

“CPUT’s BBBEE compliance is a major achievement and especially for Mariam as the coordinator of the entire verification process,” she says.

CPUT currently has a level 5 status meaning it is 80% BBBEE compliant.

Contact Hartley at hartleym@cput.ac.za if you need the certificate or more information.

Paralympian sport launched at CPUT

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A new paralympian sport has just been launched in Cape Town and they are looking for CPUT students who want to play.

Sitting Volleyball can be played by both the able bodied and disabled and is a version of volleyball using a smaller court and lowered net. During a game players are seated on the ground and slide using their arms to move and play the ball. Teams have six players

At the moment both UCT and Stellenbosch have launched the game and CPUT can join the fold and be trained by British Paralympic athlete Anton Raimondo who brought the sport to SA.

Raimondo lost his lower left leg in a motorcycle accident years ago and after rehabilitation treatment he joined to sport to stay active. He quickly rose through the ranks to vice-captain for Great Britain in the 2012 Paralympics.

IN ACTION: Anton Raimondo playing Sitting Volleyball

IN ACTION: Anton Raimondo playing Sitting Volleyball

Now he and his wife Tina are hoping to offer local students a similar experience.

“It is one of the few sports where people missing a leg have an advantage over those with both legs as it is easier to move around!” says Raimondo.

Contact ParaVolley South Africa at 0742602167 or 0845534182 or email contact@paravolley.co.za.

Staff members’ legacy remembered in awards

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They may be gone but they certainly won’t be forgotten.

Last year the university lost two stalwarts, Prof Johan Esterhuyse from the Health and Wellness Faculty and Sevérus Cerff who was head of Advertising in the Marketing and Communication Department.

The pair were well known in their respective fields and now their legacies will continue thanks to the announcement that both will have awards named in their honour.

In January alumnus Kylie van Niekerk was the first recipient of the Prof Johan Esterhuyse Award for Outstanding Intern Medical Technologist/Scientist.

Awarded by the Pathcare Academy to a talented Biomedical professional, the award goes a long way to sealing the legacy of Esterhuyse who pioneered the rolling out of the Medical Laboratory Sciences course which sees its first batch of students graduate this year.

Cerff was a board member of the Marketing, Advancement  and Communications in Education (MACE) body and in 2014 it was agreed that a lifetime achievement award would be named after him to remember the contributions he made to advance the standing of marketing, communication and advancement in higher education, and the growth of MACE as a body.

Design Indaba Triumph for CPUT

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Whether we were curating, presenting or winning prizes, CPUT came out tops at the annual Design Indaba expo.

As usual the institution enjoyed a strong presence at the show which is the foremost design centred event in the country.

CPUT staff and students from the Industrial Design course scooped the coveted Innovation award for their Watt Scooter which is an electric scooter designed for inner city transport.

The Innovation Award is awarded to one design showcased at Design Indaba each year.

Industrial Design’s Mugendi M’Rithaa also kept the institutions flag flying high as a curator at the event while Graphic Design alumni Xolisa Dyshana did an excellent job at MC’ing. Dyshana is a partner at the Joe Public Advertising agency.

The Fashion Design programme was well represented by the superb Lukhanyo Mdingi who was one of the main attractions as an Emerging Young Creative nominee at the event.

Lukhanyo has been pipped as a talent to watch and his well placed exhibition space at the event attracted plenty of attention from aspiring fashion designers who enjoy his work.

CPUT’s interactive stand also attracted plenty of attention with its fun board game design and the chance to win a R15 000 bursary towards any study within the Informatics and Design Faculty.

5 minutes with Lukhanyo Mdingi

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CPUT fashion graduate Lukhanyo Mdingi seems to have his career all sewn up. He was recently selected as one of Design Indaba’s Emerging Creatives and was already earmarked through his studies as a talent to watch. We caught up with the rising star to discuss his first year in industry.

You were pretty much the talk of the town throughout your studies. Name some of the exciting awards and commendations you have received through your studies and afterwards?

Oh wow, I have no idea. To me my biggest achievement was completing both my under-grad and post-grad years in record time. The other achievements while still in CPUT has to be when I was selected as one of the top 8 finalists for the 2013 ELLE in association with Mr Price – Rising Star Competition, this took place when I was in my 3rd Year.

Design Indaba Young Creatives is the latest notch on your belt. What do all these awards actually mean to your career at the end of the day?

It’s very gratifying but even more so, it means that I have the opportunity to learn more about the South African fashion industry and as well as use these platforms to expand the Lukhanyo Mdingi brand.

In a nutshell where are you from and why did you chose CPUT?

I am from a small town in the Eastern Cape – East London. I chose CPUT purely because of its credentials, access to equipment and software as well as affordability.

How do you think the institution prepared you for the rigours of industry?

I think this differs for each individual fashion design graduate, purely because you are able to go into so many different fields of fashion with the Diploma/Degree , it has prepped me extremely well with garment construction knowledge and range/concept building and planning.

Do you have a muse?

I would have to say South African Artist, Athi Patra. He oozes sophistication.

2015 has just kicked off, what is the plan for the year?

To be honest I’m a short term planner, right now it’s all about production and building my brand.

Would you ever be absorbed into someone else brand for a few years or are you intent on building your own right now?

I would love to do both. I don’t want to ever constrain myself. I believe you have to be very tactical about these decisions, identifying what will be best for you as the designer and making sure your integrity isn’t compromised.

Where can people follow you on social media?

Instagram and Twitter both @lukhanyomdingi / Lukhanyo Mdingi

Academic handpicked for fellowship programme

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Dr Bernie Millar’s passion for teaching has earned her several top teaching accolades and even a feature in the local Cape Argus newspaper.

To add to her list of outstanding achievements, Millar is the only CPUT academic handpicked to participate in the inaugural South African Teaching Advancement at University (TAU) Fellowship programme, which is funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

TAU is reserved for academics that have been acknowledged for their teaching excellence. Running over two-years, it aims to contribute towards teaching and learning in the higher education sector by developing a cadre of academics as mentors in their fields of specialization.

A lecturer in the Clothing and Textiles Department, Millar says she is excited to participate in the programme and to work alongside academics from other institutions who share her passion for teaching

“I think that when you bring together a number of experienced, creative and innovative minds in the area of teaching, there will be so much energy flowing and new ideas coming up,” she says.

“This programme is really going to benefit higher education in South Africa.”

Millar, who has been teaching for 30 years, was commended as one of the most innovative teachers by the Council on Higher Education and the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa.  She was one of 14 individuals to receive this national commendation in 2012.

She also holds the Faculty of Engineering Distinguished Teacher’s Award for 2011 and the Departmental Distinguished Teacher’s Award for 2014.