Building a Culture of Research and Collaboration

The centre aims to fulfill the university’s Transformation Plan through the following objectives:

• Develop a strong culture of research and innovation.
• Introduce programs such as research clinics, the Jumpstart program, and winter school to foster a research culture. These initiatives expose academics and postgraduate students to research dynamics and clarify research issues, ultimately enhancing research productivity.
• Build strategic partnerships that support the university’s goals.
• Ensure institutional sustainability, expand income streams, and enhance the CUT brand.
• Promote good governance, human rights, and social justice. As a centre for diversity, we welcome individuals from all faculties, languages, nationalities, and backgrounds, with the goal of advancing the research agenda.

The centre focuses on capacity building to ensure emerging researchers benefit from its activities. Programs such as Jumpstart, Winter Research School, Postgraduate Bootcamp, and research clinics are designed to support this objective.

The centre has five distinct strategic units that contribute to sustainable development:

1. Unit for Research, Technology, and Innovation Development

2. Unit for Special Projects, Income, and Corporate Partnerships

3. Unit for Women, Children, and Disenfranchised People

4. Unit for Postgraduate Support

Celebrating our centre's early successes

1. Winter Research School: This project was successful, and we plan to open it to various universities in the coming years to generate additional income. The centre envisions the Winter Research School as an annual event that highlights the university and promotes strong scholarship and a robust postgraduate community. A key achievement of this project is the ability to collaborate interdisciplinarily with colleagues across the university. Through this initiative, we successfully engaged various stakeholders in Welkom to provide academic services to students and lecturers.
2. Research Clinics: Significant progress has been made in assisting students and staff with various research topics, enhancing their research capabilities. Participant reviews reflect this positive impact.
3. Jumpstart Program: There has been progress in paper writing, with several papers published, accepted, or submitted for review. An attached list details the articles that have been submitted, accepted, and published.
4. Journal: While marketing strategies are in place, progress has been slow. A more vibrant marketing approach is necessary. We anticipate that this issue will improve once the journal receives accreditation, with a target date set for 2026.
5. Bootcamp: There is strong interest in this program among postgraduate students, as it is designed to help them complete their research in a timely manner. This initiative is crucial for developing a pool of academics, thereby enhancing the research productivity of the faculty.

Strengthening our research community

2024 saw significant progress in research output within the Faculty of Humanities, facilitated by the Centre for Diversity in Higher Education Research. At the start of the year, we implemented research clinics, postgraduate research boot camps, and monthly seminars and webinars to support academics and postgraduate students across various faculties.

The centre also hosted a successful winter school that addressed research-related topics for researchers and postgraduate students. Throughout the year, we established partnerships with several universities worldwide, including the University of the West Indies, University of Belize, University of Johannesburg, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Oxford University, Limpopo University, Appalachian State University, and the University of Iceland, among others.

These partnerships are essential for enhancing the CUT brand in knowledge production. The centre successfully instituted and edited five special issues in education with a reputable, DHET-accredited journal, reflecting our commitment to advancing knowledge.

We offer services designed to enhance the CUT brand, support academics, and help postgraduate students complete their studies in a timely manner. We invite you to participate in our programs focused on research development, aiming to strengthen CUT's position in the academic landscape.

I look forward to welcoming you to the centre in 2025 and beyond. Together, we can reshape the narrative of CUT.

Prof. Bekithemba Dube
Director of the Centre

Our Projects

List of 2024 Publications

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The centre aims to promote scholarship publication that supports the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) through its journal. By featuring various publications...

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Contribution towards the CUT's Vision

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The five distinct strategies of the centre are designed to meet the following objectives:To produce work-ready, entrepreneurial and holistic graduates:...

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Contributing to important conversations

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The centre prioritises hosting events and activities that support capacity building within its strategic units. These initiatives are designed to empower...

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