During the site visit, DHET departmental officials met with CUT officials directly responsible for the management and implementation of the UCDP at the institution.

The Central University of Technology hosted the Department of Higher Education and Training during their annual monitoring site visits to each university to discuss the implementation of the University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) and the progress being made. Possible challenges and ways to solve and improve them were also discussed.

Welcoming the visitors, acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, Prof. Wendy Setlalentoa stated that CUT submitted to the 2021-2023 University Capacity Development Grant during a period when the country and the rest of the world were grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. “The fund contributed a lot to ensuring that our university realises its proposed mission of becoming a leading African university of technology, shaping the future through innovation. The plan strengthened the university's teaching, learning, and research functions by supporting our strategic objectives, which are number one, creating a harmonious community conducive to teaching and learning. The second one is developing work-ready entrepreneurial and holistic graduates. Number three is developing a strong culture of research and innovation. And number four, developing staff as the university's most important asset,” stated Setlalentoa.

The CUT-UCDP plan presented 12 projects, namely, enhancing student learning and development through the scholarship of teaching and learning. The second one is curriculum transformation and renewal. Three, the student experience project; Four, the CUT learning analytics environment; and the fifth, postgraduate students' research capacity development. The sixth one is staff research capacity development and support. Seven, early researcher career development support. Eight, mid-career researcher development support. And nine experienced researchers' development and support. Ten, research collaboration and mobility funding support. Eleven, development of research administrative competencies. And lastly, Grant management.

Ms Sonnika Lundt, Deputy Director of University Capacity Development, stated that the annual site visits offer DHET an opportunity to spend quality time with universities with community members on the ground and build stronger relationships every year. “It is really nice to listen to your success stories. And it's really a pleasure having CUT as part of my universities under my portfolio to take hands, build friendships and relationships and see how people's hard work pays off. And you see the impact and differences that it makes, specifically in the lives of our students, because this is what we do, it's for our students,” said Lundt.

The CUT-UCDP plan focuses mainly on promoting and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning through professional staff development, which the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) is doing, and student academic development support.

CUT acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching & Learning, Prof. Wendy Setlalentoa and DHET Deputy Director: University Capacity Development, Ms Sonnika Lundt.

Uploaded: 08 October 2024