Photo: The research-based essay writing competition participants are seen here with Ms Abigail Edem, Curriculum and Academic Staff Developer (front row left), Mr Thabang Mkhize, CUT Writing Centre Coordinator (front row centre) and Mr Mehlala Samkelo, Manager Special Projects (front row-right). 

Education for sustainable development means enabling students to develop the knowledge and understanding, skills and attributes needed to work and live in a way that safeguards environmental, social and economic wellbeing, both in the present and future.

The CUT Writing Centre hosted the essay writing competition awards ceremony on 26 May 2023, following a competition that took place from 24 April - 12 May 2023, where 24 enthusiastic student writers and researchers displayed their passion for creating thought-provoking essays.

The Writing Centre aims to assist students with academic writing at any stage of the writing process. The centre also supports first-year students’ transition to a university relevant to academic writing and post-graduate students with research projects and proposals.

Contestants were awarded in five different categories- best writer in each faculty, well researched paper, innovative paper, paper that shows an understanding of SDGs and overall best writer award.

The following students were awarded:

Well researched paper: Bokang Matobako, Paper showing understanding SDGs: Sixtus Ogugbara, Innovative paper: Busisiwe Ndebele.

Best writers of the faculty are Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences: Nthatisi Lebaka, Faculty of Management Sciences: Mokhele Mohlakwana, Faculty of Humanities: Sixtus Ogugbara, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology: Bokang Matobako.

The 2023 overall winner award went to Nthatisi Lebaka, from the faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences.

Mrs Abigail Edem, Curriculum and Academic Staff Developer, said that the essay writing competition serves as a contribution to the Sustainable Development of the university, which is part of CUT’s graduate attributes. “I am proud of all students who participated and would like to see more and more students taking part in these competitions.”

The essay competition will be hosted annually.