In a bid to ensure that knowledge and cultures are shared in Africa, CPUT is focusing on exchange programmes with other tertiary institutions on the continent.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Polytechnic of Namibia (PON) and CPUT, which was signed in 2013, spurred Mandie Richards, a senior lecturer who co-ordinates the international exchanges in the Office Management and Technology Department, to pursue an exchange programme with the Namibians.
This culminated in the first staff exchange between the School of Management Sciences (PON) and the School of Commerce, Management and Governmental Sciences (CPUT).
Lecturer Meagon dos Santos recently visited PON and shared her knowledge and skills by lecturing students, and meeting and sharing best practices with lecturers on community engagement, Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and service learning.
Dos Santos says that lecturing a small number of second year students, approximately 20, was a good experience.
She added that dedicated computer labs and theory classrooms specifically for the department hosting her as well as students’ punctuality made the lecturing experience pleasant.
Lindie Beukes from PON lectured CPUT second year students and engaged with staff about recurriculation as PON is in the process of recurriculating.
Beukes also met with various members of management in the Faculty, as well as with staff in Fundani.
Her visit to the Hotel School at Granger Bay for lunch with Associate Dean Ivan van der Heever only resulted in highly complementary comments about the setting, ambience and cuisine.
Beukes says that the experience and knowledge she gained at CPUT will definitely assist in her role of leading the recurriculation process in her department at PON.
