On 27 August 2015 CUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof. Thandwa Mthembu and Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Research, Prof. Henk de Jager attended the NRF Awards 2015 in Durban. The NRF was established to promote and support research, to facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in all fields of science and technology, including indigenous knowledge. The latter is intended to contribute to the improvement of the quality of lives of all citizens and thereby to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of all the people of the Republic.

 

 CUT was awarded the NRF Excelleration Award 2015. This is hot on the heels of the launch by the Minister for Department of Science and Technology(DST), Honourable Naledi Pandor, NRF Research Chair in Medical Product Development and the success of the Unit for Drug Research led by Prof. Sam Mashele in discovering a drug for some pathologies in marine life earlier this year. The award is derived from the words “excellence” and “accelleration”, the NRF Excelleration Award acknowledges South African research institutions for achieving the most improved research performance over recent years. Below is statistics and a broader view on research and innovation that contributed to this prestigious award:

1. Master’s degrees awarded (2012 as base year in comparison with 2014 actuals): 66% increase;
2. Doctoral degrees awarded (2012 as base year in comparison with 2014 actuals): 80% increase;
3. Staff holding NRF ratings (2012 as base year in comparison with current): 80% increase;
4. Research Outputs (only articles published in scientific journals: 2011 compared to 2014): 82% increase;
5. Permanently appointed Academic staff holding doctorates (2012 as base year in comparison with current): 32% increase;
6. Permanently appointed Academic staff at the rank of Associate Professors & Professors (2012 as base year in comparison current): 59% increase;
7. Approximately 50% of the research outputs were published in international scientific journals.

“Given this award and many other successes we have made recently, I wish to thank our Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Research, Prof. Henk de Jager for his indefatigable stewardship of the broader research and innovation portfolio at CUT” stated Prof. Mthembu. He further acknowledged the Dean for Research Development and Innovation, Prof. Laetus Lategan, and the Director for Research and Innovation, Prof. Jorrie Jordaan and their research teams for the efforts, dedication and the passion they have put into these strides that made this portfolio. Communications and Marketing would like to acknowledge the information above was extracted from the VC Communique released on 28 August 2015 by Professor Thandwa Mthembu, Vice-Chancellor and Principal. 

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Dr Beverley Damonse, Acting CEO, NRF; Prof. Thandwa Mthembu, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of CUT; Prof. Henk de Jager, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Research, CUT; Dr Dorsamy Pillay, Deputy CEO: Research and Innovation Support and Advancement, NRF.