The Ethical Leadership and Culture Project is intended to promote adherence to good corporate governance principles, primarily the governance outcome related to ethics. The initiative is intended to assess the perceptions of ethics at the institution, perform relevant risk assessments, and implement specific recommendations to enhance ethics management and culture at the university.

Goals and Objectives: 

• Improve governance at the institution by contributing to the enhancement of ethical leadership and behavioural practices through recommended practices.
• Promoting the university values, primarily integrity, because as a campus community, we expect all conduct to be rooted in integrity, mutual respect, and civility. We value ethical behaviour in scholarly and other endeavours.
• Promoting sustainability, which requires good governance, including ethical and effective leadership, and corporate citizenship on the part of the institution.
• Facilitate the effective management of ethics and ethical risks in support of governance structures at the university.
•  

Benefits:

• Ethical leadership (role models).
• Strong ethical culture within the university.
• Enhanced university reputation.
• Improved stakeholder trust (students, staff and external stakeholders).

Automation of the internal audit processes (through the procurement of audit software). The Internal Audit Unit has a manual process for performing audits, which consists of planning, execution/fieldwork, reporting, and follow-up. This process has been defined in the unit’s approved methodology/procedural manual. The Internal Audit Unit is seeking to automate its processes through the procurement of audit software. The automation of the internal audit processes will facilitate efficient and effective internal audit activities and operations, enhance the quality of work, facilitate the performance of quality assurance and improvement reviews, and enable the Internal Audit Unit to achieve its mandate and meet stakeholder expectations. The results of a benchmarking exercise that was undertaken by the unit revealed that most internal auditunits in other higher education institutions utilise the audit software during the performance of their  work. Furthermore, the Global Internal Audit Standards require the utilization of technology during the performance of the audits. The project will therefore facilitate adherence to the Global Internal Audit Standards.

Goals and Objectives:

• Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the Internal Audit Unit to contribute to the enhancement of the governance, risk management, and control processes of the Institution: The Internal Audit Unit is currently using Microsoft Word and Excel to perform and document their work from planning, execution, quality assurance, reporting, and follow-up. This has resulted in a lack of standardisation of documentation and a lack of efficiency in performing the internal audit work. The current process is not sustainable in the long run because it will negatively impact the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the Internal Audit Unit’s work. Therefore, the recommendation is to acquire proper internal audit software to address these issues.
• Increase the coverage of work and enable the Internal Audit Unit to perform specialised audit work: The acquisition of the Internal Auditing Tool will assist the Internal Audit Team to increase their audit coverage and to prioritise and perform audits that require additional capabilities like data Analytics, artificial intelligence, etc.
• Facilitate effective handover processes and ensure the continuity of operations: The automation of the internal audit processes will enable effective handover processes and ensure the continuity of operations due to the availability of information and the performance of the work via the audit software.
• Facilitate the performance of the External Quality Review Assessment: The automation of the internal audit processes will facilitate the performance of an external quality review assessment, which is aimed at continuous improvement and promotes compliance with the Global Internal Audit Standards. Due to the manual process, there is insufficient information to facilitate the performance of this critical component of the Internal Audit Unit. This process is performed every five (5) years and assesses the work that was performed during that period. There is currently limited/no information that is available from the 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 financial years to facilitate the performance of the Quality Review.

These goals will be achieved through the achievement of the following objectives, which will be used to assess benefits realisation after the project is completed.

• An automated internal audit process that is aligned to the Institute of Internal Auditor’s Standards and that will facilitate adherence and compliance to these standards, including adherence and compliance to the adopted and approved CUT’s Internal Audit Methodology and Policy.
• An automated internal audit process that will facilitate and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Internal Audit Unit to contribute to governance, risk management, and control processes of the institution.
• An automated internal audit process that will enhance the Internal Audit Unit’s ability to meet stakeholder expectations and to achieve its mandate and mission.
• An automated internal audit process that will facilitate the integration and the achievement

Benefits:

• Standardisation of the internal audit process that complies with the Global Internal Audit Standards, the Internal Audit Policy, the Internal Audit Charter, and the approved CUT’s Internal Audit Methodology/Procedural Manual.
• The efficiency and effectiveness of the Internal Audit Unit within the institution will be improved.
• The quality of the work performed by the Internal Audit Unit will be improved.
• The Internal Audit Unit’s ability to achieve its mandate and other key performance indicators (KPIs) as set out in the approved Internal Audit Charter and the approved Internal Audit Policy will be enhanced.
• The audit coverage by the Internal Audit Unit within the institution will be increased. 6. Enables the Internal Audit Unit to reduce reliance on consultants/ service providers for specialsied audit work which results in reduced audit costs for outsourced work.
• Informed audit prioritisation and compilation of a comprehensive audit plan that covers the key risks of the institution.
• The software provides real-time monitoring and tracking of audit projects.
• The software automates numerous tasks such as scheduling, assignment of tasks, and the generation of tasks and responsibilities.
• The Internal Audit Unit’s ability to meet the needs and expectations of stakeholders will be enhanced.
• The Internal Audit Unit’s ability to contribute to the improvement of governance, risk management, and control processes of the institution will be enhanced.
• The Internal Audit Unit will be enabled to work both online and offline as the software has advanced synchronization.
• Enables efficient follow-up processes (previous internal and external audit findings, forensic investigations, assessors report, etc.)

This project is aimed at implementing the university’s project management as well as institutional effectiveness and efficiency frameworks. This project will assist CUT in ensuring the proper completion of strategic projects as per the approved list of strategic projects, promote project management principles, and facilitate overall institutional effectiveness and efficiency.

This project is to support the university’s strategic goal in financial sustainability, encouraging a culture of high performance, and establishing itself as a pioneer in cutting-edge higher education. Its success will be largely dependent on strong monitoring, ongoing assessment, and stakeholder participation.

The goals of the project are as follows:

• Academic departments and administrative units across the university.
• Improve key operational processes
• Performance management and transformation

The objectives include:

• Optimise Resource Allocation: Ensure that financial, human, and physical resources are deployed effectively to support strategic goals.
• Enhance Operational Processes: Identify and eliminate redundancies in administrative and academic processes to improve service delivery.
• Promote Data-Driven Decision-Making: Establish systems and frameworks for collecting, analysing, and utilising performance metrics.
• Foster a High-Performance Culture: Build a culture of accountability, innovation, and excellence among staff and students.
• Improve Stakeholder Satisfaction: Strengthen relationships and satisfaction levels among students, staff, and external partners.
• Producing quarterly progress reports to ensure effective monitoring by project owners and project sponsors, and ultimately to VCMC and Council.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Collaboration and Accountability: Promote collaboration between departments to avoid duplications.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: This is aligned with initiatives with institutional goals and resourceavailability.
• Cost Savings and Resource Optimisation: Identifying underperforming areas which will help focus on investments and on most impactful initiatives.
• Strengthened Institutional Reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to effectiveness and efficiency supports accreditation processes and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Long-Term Sustainability: There will be a culture of continuous improvement practices within the university. Project Risks and Mitigation.

The Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT), guided by its values of Ubuntu and inclusivity, recognises the importance of multilingualism. Aligned with the 2021 Language Policy, this project aims to enhance multilingual communication within the university by procuring essential simultaneous interpreting equipment. This initiative will facilitate effective communication across diverse linguistic groups, including Sesotho, Afrikaans, English, and South African Sign Language (SASL), during key university events, particularly the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) conference. The project addresses the current limitations in multilingual communication at CUT. These limitations include the limited use of Sesotho as an academic language, the dominance of English in most university settings, and the inadequate resources available to the Language Services Unit to effectively promote multilingualism. By providing the necessary technology for simultaneous interpretation, this project will create a more inclusive and accessible environment for all members of the CUT community, regardless of their linguistic background. This project will not only enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of university events but also contribute to the development of Sesotho as an academic language. By facilitating the use of Sesotho in academic settings, this project supports CUT's commitment to promoting the status and roles of previously marginalised South African languages, as outlined in the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education. Ultimately, this initiative will strengthen the university's commitment to multilingualism and create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment for all.

Goals and Objectives:

Project Goals & Objectives for the procurement of simultaneous interpreting products at CUT, focusing on institutional effectiveness and efficiency and improvement to academia and operations:

• Enhance Institutional Inclusivity and Accessibility Goal: To foster a more inclusive and accessible university environment by breaking down language barriers and ensuring equitable participation for all members of the CUT community. Objective: To increase the participation and engagement of students, staff, and visitors from diverse linguistic backgrounds in university events, conferences, and academic activities.
• Strengthen the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Conference Goal: To enhance the effectiveness and impact of the SoTL conference by facilitating meaningful communication and knowledge exchange among researchers and academics from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Objective: To increase the diversity of participants and presentations at the SoTL conference by removing language barriers and ensuring that all attendees can fully understand and engage with the presented research.
• Promote the Development of Sesotho as an Academic Language Goal: To contribute to the development and recognition of Sesotho as a legitimate academic language within the university and beyond. Objective: To create opportunities for the use of Sesotho in academic settings, such as presentations, discussions, and workshops, by providing the necessary technological infrastructure for simultaneous interpretation.
• Improve Operational Efficiency and Resource Utilisation Goal: To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of university operations by facilitating clear and effective communication across departments and with external stakeholders. Objective: To streamline communication processes during university events and meetings by providing access to professional-grade simultaneous interpreting equipment, reducing the need for costly and time-consuming alternative solutions. These goals and objectives directly align with CUT's commitment to multilingualism and inclusivity, as outlined in its language policy. By investing in this critical infrastructure, the university can enhance its overall effectiveness and efficiency while creating a more equitable and inclusive environment for all members of the CUT community.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Inclusivity and Access: For students: Simultaneous interpreting will break down language barriers, ensuring that students from diverse linguistic backgrounds can fully participate in key institutional events, seminars, and other academic activities. This will enhance their learning experience and promote equal access to education. For staff: Faculty and staff from different language backgrounds will be able to actively participate in meetings, workshops, and conferences, fostering a more inclusive and collaborative work environment. For visitors: The university will become more welcoming and accessible to international scholars, researchers, and guests, promoting intercultural exchange and collaboration.
• Improved Communication and Collaboration: Within the university: Simultaneous interpreting will facilitate smoother communication and collaboration among staff, students, and researchers from different language backgrounds. This will enhance the flow of information, foster interdisciplinary research, and strengthen the university's research output. With external stakeholders: Effective communication with external partners, such as industry professionals, government agencies, and community organisations, will be facilitated, leading to stronger collaborations and greater impact.
• Promotion of Multilingualism and Language Development: Increased visibility of Sesotho, Afrikaans and SASL: By actively using these languages in university settings, the project will elevate their status and promote their use as academic and scientific languages.
• Support for language learning: The project will create a more multilingual environment, encouraging language learning and promoting linguistic diversity within the university community.
• Enhanced Reputation and Visibility: As a leader in inclusivity: CUT will establish itself as a leader in promoting multilingualism and inclusivity in higher education, attracting a more diverse student body and enhancing its national and international reputation.
• As a hub for multilingual research: The successful implementation of this project will position CUT as a centre for research on multilingualism, attracting scholars and researchers from around the world.
• Improved Quality of the SOTL Conference: Increased participation and engagement: Simultaneous interpreting will ensure that all participants, regardless of their language proficiency, can fully engage in the conference discussions and presentations.
• Enhanced knowledge dissemination: The exchange of ideas and research findings will be facilitated, leading to a richer and more impactful learning experience for all attendees.
• Improved international visibility: The conference will attract a more diverse international audience, enhancing its global impact and visibility.

Operational Efficiency

In alignment with the overall university vision and the Digital Transformation vision, the Institutional Registrar division has embarked on an Operational Efficiency project that aims to improve operational efficiency within the Academic Administration through process mapping using the Nintex Promapp solution.

Project Goals and Objectives:

• The project seeks to achieve the following:
• To reduce inefficient processes in the current student lifecycle management system due to decentralised operations in integrated processes,
• Enhance data quality, data integrity, and accuracy and,
• Promote data governance 

Benefits:

• Improving process efficiency
• Enhancing team performance
• Increased stakeholder engagement.
• Standardising and automating processes.

CUT recognises the importance of data driven and decision-making in achieving its strategic objectives. As a higher education institution, CUT generates vast amount of data from various sources, including student information system, financial system and research outputs. However, the current data landscape at CUT is characterised data silos, poor data quality, limited analytic capabilities, and inadequate data governance.

The Data Strategy Development Project therefore aims to create a comprehensive approach to how data is collected, shared, and used across the university. This project will involve assessing the current data landscape in order to determine its data maturity level, defining key data governance practices, and crafting a fit-for-purpose data strategy with a defined roadmap for achieving data-driven decision-making.

Project Goals and Objectives:

The CUT Data Strategy Development Project aims to develop a comprehensive Institutional Data Strategy that will enable CUT to leverage its data assets effectively. The project’s primary objectives are:

Phase 1

• Assess the current data landscape at CUT, including data sources, systems, and governance structures.                 
  • Define a data strategy that aligns with CUT’s strategic objectives and operational efficiency.
  • Develop a roadmap for implementing the data strategy.

Phase 2

The approach for implementation will be determined based on the outcome of the data maturity level of the institution and will be detailed in the roadmap. Given the timeframe, implementation will also be a phased approach.

Benefits:

• Enhance Institutional Operational Efficiency
• Improved Data Quality and Security
• Data-driven decisionmaking
• Stranger Data Governance and Compliance
• Support Digital Transformation

The Student Centric Centre (SCC) is a dedicated space designed to provide a holistic, student-centered environment aimed at promoting student success by allowing students to take care of all institutional administrative tasks in one location. This centralised location, which can also be referred to as a “one-stop” student service center, endeavors to eliminate the “runaround” often experienced by students when conducting the business of being a student. The SCC will provide services to students, including admission and registration, assessments and graduation, academic advising, fees and financial aid, student wellness services, and student accommodation.

Characterised by innovation, this one-stop student service centre will provide integrated student services while at the same time improving institutional processes, saving time and resources, leveraging cutting edge technology, service delivery, and staff development.

Due to the size and consideration required in establishing a SCC, on both campuses, this project will take a phased approach.

Project Goals and Objectives:

• Enhance Student Experience: To create a centralised Location for student support services to estimate the “runaround” and to ensure that students feel supported throughout their academic journey.
• Enhance Service Delivery: Through leveraging cutting-edge technology will see student support services more streamlined efficient, by creating self-service options, quick responses, smart queuing system and rea time updates.
• Academic Success and Retention: Effective and efficient minimising of barriers to academic progression to ensure that students receive timely and relevant support to address common stressors, i.e., finances and incorrect marks.
• Promote Holistic student wellbeing: Through a comprehensive integrated approach to student related service, students’ overall well-being is enhanced.
• Innovative Space: Creating innovative space, fit-for-purpose to the intent of the SCC.
• Resources: Train and develop staff to use technology to streamline operation.

Project Objective:

• Student Administration Services: Easy and efficient access to all student related services.
• Innovative Technology: Employing most innovative efficiently address student enquiring.
• Fit-for-purpose infrastructure: Creating a smart and morden space that speaks to the intent and purpose of the SCC whilst at the same time addressing the broader infrastructure requirements of the institution.
• Collaborations: Establish strong relations with local and international partners and institutions that  have successfully established SCCs.

Benefits:

• A SCC will transform CUT into a hub of student excellence, fostering a culture of support and innovation.
• It will enhance the academic and personal growth of students and strengthen the university’s position as a leader in innovation and excellence.
• An SCC will strengthen the university’s reputation and thereby attract high-caliber students and staff.

An Electronic Records Management System (ERMS) is a software solution designed to organise, store, manage, and track electronic records throughout their lifecycle, from creation to disposal.

The project aims to develop a comprehensive, secure, and user-friendly software solution for efficiently managing electronic records throughout their entire lifecycle. This system will assist the institution in automating record-keeping processes. improving operational efficiency, ensuring legal compliance, and safeguarding sensitive records. By transitioning from traditional paper-based, the project will streamline the storage, retrieval, and disposal of records within the university and in a secure environment.

Project Goals and Objectives:

The aim is to automate and streamline record management processes, improve accessibility with a centralised digital system for easy retrieval, and ensure compliance through robust security and maintain audit trails. Additionally, it will endure scalability and adaptability for future growth and integration with emerging technologies.

The objectives include developing a secure and user-friendly platform, implementing efficient record lifecycle management, integrating advanced search capabilities, establishing retention polices, training staff, and continuously monitoring system performance to ensure its long-term effectiveness.

Benefits:

• Improved operational efficiency through automated record management.
• Enhanced data accessibility with a centralised digital repository.
• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Increased transparency and accountability through audit trails.
• Scalable system that supports future growth and technology integration.

The Higher Education Act (HEA) prescribes that the main institutional governance structures are the Council; the Senate; the Intuitional Forum (IF), and the Students Representative Council (SRC).

Finalise the Governance Framework and related documents to have fit-for-purpose, efficient and effective governance structures.

Project Goals and Objectives:

• To determine what recommendation would be accepted from the final draft governance framework,
• To workshop the terms of reference of the governance committee to ensure they are effective, fit for purpose, and aligned with the CUT Statute, institutional rules, legislative requirements, and
• Standing committees of council and/or Senate to recommend their final terms of reference to Council and/or senate for final approval.

Benefits:

• CUT having fit -for-purpose, efficient and effective governance structures.

Welkom campus, in its repositioning phase, has selected to strengthen agriculture as one of the flagship innovation projects. The competitive strength of the Welkom campus is the presence of almost 85ha of vacant land, which is zoned for agriculture. The focus of phase 1 will beto pilot the production of high-quality, nutritional vegetables for consumption by students, staff, and surrounding communities on 1 ha. To create opportunities for leadership and highly productive teamwork for students, local youth, unemployed and women in the communities. Phase 2 of the project will focus on project expansion and commercialisation on a 10-ha land. Data collected from phase 1 will be utilised to optimise the systems.

Project Goals and Objectives:

• Establish a farming cooperative.
• Facilitate entrepreneurship training.
• Fence 1-2ha for phase 1 pilot.
• Set up hydroponic tunnels & technologies.
• Construct a grading & packhouse.
• Plant selected crops & monitor.
• Connect borehole & tech to monitor water usage.
• Establish solar panels to power the tunnels.
• Harvest, package and distribute.

Benefits:

• Introduction of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs and associated research activities in Welkom, leverage on regional strength.
• Promote entrepreneurship amongst the student community.
• Increase third-stream income to ensure financial sustainability.
• Establishment of a facility to train local farmers on agriculture technologies.
• Provide facility for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) students.

An investment opportunity exists to acquire and transform the Bundu Game Lodge into a financially sustainable agriculture and hospitality hub for CUT. Watch the video showcasing the game lodge. This property is located 5km from the CUT Welkom Campus and presents a great potential to transform the university. The property is 64 ha commercial property and has attractive features such as a restaurant, bar; conference rooms; private lounge; dining room, guest rooms and a house. Moreover, there are more than 50 various game animals that will form the foundation for a research program in game farming. The property is currently on the market for about R14 million.

Project Goals and Objectives:

• Purchase the facility: Finalise second valuation - Prepare documents for Council approval - Secure funding - Explore PPP with partners interested in the property
• Optimise the ongoing Operations: Continue operating the current guest accommodation - Continue hosting conferences, weddings & entertainment events - Continue hosting team building activities
• Expansion into Commercial Agriculture: Formalise research program in game farming - Establish commercial scale hydroponic tunnels - Establish goat mohair farming - Continue hosting team building activities
• Expansion into Hospitality program: Establish Boutique guest hotel - Establish a diploma in hospitality in partnership with the hotel school
• Expansion into Accommodation: Expand owner’s concept of assisted living 2-beds units and/or establish rental units.

Benefits:

• Introduction of STEM programs and associated research activities in agriculture and hospitality at the Welkom Campus leveraging on regional strength.
• Promote entrepreneurship amongst the staff and student community.
• Increase third-stream income in an effort to ensure financial sustainability.
• Establishment of a facility to train local farmers on agriculture technologies.
• Provide facility for WIL students.

This proposal seeks to conduct a Gap Analysis of FEBIT's Engineering Programmes against the IEA GAPC Version 2021 to ensure that the FEBIT engineering qualifications align with the updated Graduate Attributes and Professional Competencies as set out by the International Engineering Alliance. The analysis will focus on identifying potential gaps between FEBIT’s current engineering curricula and the IEA GAPC 2021 standards, considering areas such as: • Graduate Attributes: Knowledge, problem analysis, and professional practice. • Professional Competence: Readiness for independent engineering practice and continuous professional development. • Curriculum Design: Alignment with new engineering disciplines, emerging technologies, and sustainable development. By the end of this project, a comprehensive report will be provided with recommendations for curriculum enhancement, pedagogical adjustments, and professional development strategies. These recommendations will help FEBIT align its programmes with international best practices, ensuring that graduates are work ready and equipped with competencies that meet industry standard. The following are the project goals and objectives:

Enhance the Quality and Relevance of FEBIT’s Engineering Qualifications

• Conduct a comprehensive Gap Analysis to identify areas of improvement between FEBIT’s engineering curricula and IEA GAPC Version 2021 standards.
• Develop a report that provides actionable recommendations for aligning curriculum content, teaching methods, and professional competencies with international engineering standards. Goal

Improve ECSA Accreditation and Maintain Global Competitiveness

• Ensure that FEBIT’s engineering qualifications remain ECSA-accredited and meet the evolving global standards set by the IEA GAPC Version 2021.
• Align the curriculum design with the updated Graduate Attributes and Professional Competencies to enhance the global competitiveness of FEBIT’s engineering programmes.

Support CUT’s Enrolment and Retention Targets through Improved Curriculum Design

• Enhance the curriculum's attractiveness by ensuring that it meets industry needs and prepares students for the future of work in engineering.
• Increase student retention by ensuring that students have a strong foundation in both academic knowledge and professional competencies.

Benefits:

• Aligning FEBIT's engineering qualifications with IEA GAPC 2021 ensures CUT’s programmes remain internationally competitive and attractive to students, employers, and industry partners.
•  The project ensures FEBIT’s engineering programmes continue to meet ECSA accreditation standards, safeguarding the accredited status of CUT’s qualifications.
• By addressing gaps between the curriculum and industry needs, the project will equip students with relevant skills, improving employability and smooth transitions to professional roles.
• The updated curriculum, aligned with industry standards, will make FEBIT’s programmes more attractive, increasing enrolment and student retention.
• The project strengthens industry ties, ensuring the curriculum reflects real-world engineering practices and meets professional standards.
• The analysis will improve teaching methods, providing better resources and tools for faculty and students. The project ensures engineering graduates contribute to South Africa’s economic and technological growth, fostering sustainability and innovation

This proposal seeks funding for the development of an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) orientation programme designed to help new students at the Central University of Technology (CUT) acclimatise to campus life. The VR programme will provide an engaging, interactive experience, allowing students to explore the university virtually before their physical arrival. In its first phase, the programme will focus on FEBIT-related campus tours, showcasing key facilities such as: • Additive Manufacturing Centre (CRPM) • Engineering Design Labs (Mechanical, Civil, Electrical) • Built Environment Spaces • IT Computer Labs • Product Development Technology Station (PDTS) Furthermore, the programme will feature student design projects, such as the work done by Electrical Engineering Bachelor students. These projects will be highlighted in the VR experience to emphasise the academic strength and practical relevance of the FEBIT curriculum, showcasing real-world learning and innovative student contributions. The following are the project goals and objectives:

Enhance the first-year experience for students through immersive VR campus tours.

• Objective 1: Develop VR content showcasing FEBIT’s key facilities, including the CRPM, Engineering labs, Built Environment spaces, IT Computer Labs, and PDTS.
• Objective 2: Create a highly interactive, engaging VR experience that introduces new students to both academic and social campus environments.

Showcase student projects to stakeholders, enhancing the attractiveness of the FEBIT curriculum.

• Ensure the curriculum is relevant, inclusive, and appealing to a wide range of students through innovative technologies like VR, with a focus on student design projects such as the Electrical Engineering Bachelor design projects.
• Leverage immersive technology to highlight CUT's strong academic offerings and state-of-the-art facilities, demonstrating the practical relevance of FEBIT courses to potential students, employers, and industry partners.

Support CUT’s enrolment targets through innovative approaches to orientation.

• Facilitate a smoother transition for new students, leading to increased retention and higher satisfaction rates.
• Showcase CUT as a leader in technological innovation in higher education, making the university more attractive to potential students.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Student Experience: The VR programme will help first-year students become familiar with campus life, reducing anxiety and promoting early engagement.
• Showcasing Student Projects: By featuring student design projects, particularly from Electrical Engineering, this programme will showcase the practical, real-world relevance of FEBIT’s curriculum to prospective students and stakeholders, enhancing its appeal.
• Increased Student Retention: By improving the first-year experience, students will be more likely to remain engaged and successfully complete their studies.
• Improved Enrolment: The programme will attract diverse students by showcasing CUT's innovative use of VR and cutting-edge facilities, contributing to higher enrolment numbers and a more diverse student body.
• Technological Innovation: The VR orientation programme will position CUT as a leader in incorporating emerging technologies into higher education, enhancing its reputation and brand.

This project seeks to develop a standardised process and product for the commercialisation of, a medicinal plant with significant anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. The project is a collaboration between the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Central University of Technology (CUT). It leverages the expertise of both institutions to optimise extraction methods, develop pilot-scale formulations, and meet regulatory compliance for complementary medicine registration with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). The total estimated project cost is R2,568,919.4, spanning an 18-month timeline. The project focuses on transforming A. laricinus, a medicinal plant, into a scientifically validated and commercially viable complementary medicine. This effort will combine advanced scientific techniques, including chemical profiling and biological activity studies, to refine extraction methods and develop high-quality products. The collaborative initiative between CSIR and CUT will incorporate both laboratory-scale optimisation and pilot-scale manufacturing to ensure scalability. The primary activities involve: Developing an efficient and environmentally friendly extraction process for bioactive compounds. Conducting in vitro and in vivo studies to validate the plant’s anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Creating capsule prototypes that meet stringent regulatory standards set by SAHPRA. Preparing technical and market dossiers for commercialisation. This endeavour not only promotes innovation in indigenous knowledge systems but also addresses global health challenges through sustainable practices. By integrating research excellence with industry-focused solutions, the project aims to position South Africa as a leader in the biomanufacturing of natural products.

Project Goals and Objectives:

• Optimise Extraction Processes: Refine methods for obtaining high-quality bioactive compounds from A. larcenous using water, ethanol, and ethyl acetate solvents.
• Develop Product Prototypes: Create capsule formulations meeting SAHPRA standards.
• Conduct Market and Techno-economic Analysis: Identify commercialisation opportunities and assess economic feasibility.
• Regulatory Compliance: Achieve SAHPRA registration for complementary medicine.

Benefits:

• Establish South Africa as a global leader in complementary medicine.
• Enhance CUT’s and CSIR’s reputations for innovation in health sciences.
• Generate economic opportunities through commercialisation and job creation
• Provide a safe, efficacious, and high-quality product to the South African market
• Advance indigenous knowledge systems and their integration into mainstream health solutions

This project will focus on sustaining the university’s only accredited journal and to develop more accredited publications that are directly aligned with the University’s Research Centre. A bibliometric analysis of DHET accredited publications published between 2016 – 2020 shows that the Central University of Technology’s Professoriate contributed on average 41.42% of these publications. Another bibliometric analysis of the University’s Institutional Repository for completed master’s and doctoral studies from 2016 – 2021 reveals that 68.75% of the professors acted as supervisors for master’s degrees and 62.5% for doctoral degrees. The following are the project goals and objectives:

Secure the sustainability of the University’s accredited journal as a multi, inter and transdisciplinary journal.

• The Journal is existing 21 years with 48 editions and 442 articles published by 371 authors (collective) representing South African and international universities, business and industry. The journal is published as an open access journal. The sustainability is internally challenged by the University not allocating long-term financial support to the Journal. The Journal is supported by a budget based on earned page fees. The sustainability is based on resources, meeting policy requirements and upholding the integrity of the editorial processes.
• Resource security requires a budget that can fund operational activities and human resources. This will be done by improving systems to secure page fees payment, investment in dedicated editions and partnerships with publication agencies. Policy requirements will be secured based on recruiting external experts to serve on the editorial board in line with DHET requirements. The integrity of the editorial process is upheld 3 through independent review processes and the application of similarity identification processes.

Enhance visibility of the Journal via publication indexes and journal depositories that can calculate citations and identify an impact factor of the journal.

• The Journal is currently indexed in Sabinet African Journal’s online platform. The next step will be to use the index for citations, views and downloads records. More publication indexes such as Scopus will further enhance the visibility of the Journal as thousands of journals are indexed with Scopus.

Grow the number of accredited journals at the University.

• In consultation with the research directors, it will be assessed if own accredited journals or other accredited publication outlets are required and if so, to do a feasibility study on this need. Following the feasibility study, will be a business plans to start with own journals or accredited publication outlets. The implementation of the business plans will lead to first editions.

Benefits:

• Sustainability of the University’s only accredited journal since 2005.
• The Journal for New Generation Sciences confirms the knowledge creation approach of the University, its engagement with business and industry and co-creators of knowledge.
• Academic development is based on publication writing, editorial practices, review experience and development of publication literacy as a field of study.
• Profile of the University as part of knowledge creation and dissemination.
• Value of approximately R 40m – R 45m in research subsidy to South African higher education institutions.

The CUT Measurement and Verification Team is an accredited energy service consultancy (ESCO) and is putting forth series of strategic project that will expand the existing scope of their energy audit and measurement and verification activities conducted within the CUT campuses. The ESCO has integrated a holistic building management system and capacity of skill transferability solution through training programmes for interns and academic staff in the domain of energy efficiency and energy performance of buildings. This proposed strategic project will enhance and provide smart building assessment to diagnosed energy performance opportunities and upgrading the skills of the trained participants to perform energy audits and validate the accuracies of the data collected from our installed monitoring systems as well as the analysed data and reports generated from the remote online building management system.

Project Goals and Objectives:

To design and installed smart circuit breakers with inbuilt remote monitoring capabilities to control and track energy consumptions from loads connected via plugs and perform the measurement and verification of the energy consumption in pilot buildings using the capacitated interns. These goals and objectives are in line with the CUT version 2025 on ensuring the university achieve it target of 40% energy consumption from renewable energy.

Benefits:

• To smartly and efficiently implement demand management in residences and offices using the intelligent circuit breakers with inbuilt monitoring systems.
• To monitor and track the energy consumption reduction due to the implementation of control demand reduction devices.
• To create awareness of the end-users in the offices and residences of benefits of energy efficiency and energy savings. 
• To ensure the potential EPC grading of the targeted buildings is classified as good or even higher due to the energy efficiency intervention measures.
• To reduce the electricity monthly bills from electricity consumed from the Eskom’s national grid.

2026 SASOL SOLAR CHALLENGE Sasol Solar Cruiser class car Design and Development in September 2026, South Africa will host professional and amateur solar car teams from around the world as they take on the Sasol Solar Challenge. Teams take on the challenge to develop, build and drive solar-powered cars, with the ultimate goal of covering the most distance without using a drop of fuel. It alternates with the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge and has hosted some of the world’s leading teams as they test their vehicles ahead of the global event. Solar car teams typically partner with leading technology companies to test and develop cutting edge innovations during their participation at solar challenges.

The Sasol Solar Challenge is renowned for being uniquely challenging due to the varying weather conditions and a total altitude drop of nearly 2 000 m, putting the often newly launched technology inside solar cars to the ultimate test. Competitive solar cars have to be lightweight, aerodynamic, efficient, and safe – making them ideal testbeds for a variety of engineering sectors. The following are the project goals and objectives: 

Design a Practical and Sustainable cruiser Solar-Powered Vehicle

• Develop a comprehensive vehicle design using advanced CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software to optimize aerodynamics, energy efficiency, and passenger comfort.
• Incorporate innovative features such as solar arrays and battery storage systems to ensure the vehicle meets the Cruiser Class requirements of carrying one driver and at least one passenger over a long-distance stage.

Use Cutting-Edge Composite Materials for Lightweight and Durable Construction

• Select and source composite materials, including carbon fiber and other lightweight, high-strength materials, to enhance the vehicle's performance by reducing weight while maintaining structural integrity.
• Construct the vehicle chassis and body using these materials, ensuring that the final product meets safety and performance standards while being environmentally sustainable.

Test and Optimise the Vehicle’s Performance

• Conduct a series of tests, road testing, and energy consumption analysis, to evaluate the vehicle’s performance in realworld conditions. Before the 2026 challenge
• Optimise the vehicle's design and systems based on testing results, ensuring maximum energy efficiency, durability, and practical usability for the competition

Benefits:

• Advancing Renewable Energy Technology: The project will contribute to the development and refinement of solar energy technologies, solar arrays management, battery systems, and lightweight materials. These advancements can inform broader applications in the automotive and renewable energy industries, fostering innovation and sustainability.
• Showcasing CUT's Research and Innovation Excellence: Competing in this project enhances CUT's reputation as a leader in sustainable engineering and renewable energy research. Participation in an international competition like the Sasol Solar Challenge highlights the university’s capacity to drive impactful projects, attracting future partnerships, funding opportunities, and talented students.
• Real-World Skill Development for Students and Staff: Involving CUT participants, the project provides hands-on experience in design, construction, testing, and project management. Students and staff will acquire valuable skills in teamwork, innovation, and problem-solving, preparing them for careers in engineering and sustainable technology.
• Promoting Sustainability and Public Awareness:  By demonstrating the practical application of solar-powered vehicles, the project raises public awareness about renewable energy and sustainable transportation. It also aligns with global goals like decarbonization and climate action, inspiring communities and industries to adopt greener practices
• Enhancing CUT’s Community Engagement and Educational Impact: Through outreach programs like the Schools Programme, the project will inspire thousands of learners across South Africa to pursue STEM careers. This engagement not only fulfils CUT’s mission of community impact but also positions the university as a key contributor to South Africa's educational and technological advancement.

The project “leaders at all levels” implies and is premised on the notion that, regardless of the level of position that employees hold in CUT, each employee is a leader of their own behaviour and accountable for their impact on CUT and stakeholders.

Project Goals and Objectives:

• Over a period of 36 months, this project aims:
• To develop and enable a shift in mindsets of CUT employees, that will foster a sense that we are leaders of our own behaviour (self-accountable), and responsible for our impact on others and CUT’s success.
• To create a shift in organisational mindset as a foundation for true transformation.
• To contribute toward the creation of an organisation culture that is reflective of the values of the CUT and eliminate limiting beliefs.
• Encourage the modelling of the outward mindset on all levels.
• To foster collaboration - a focus on helping the institution achieve strategic objectives through what we do and how we do it.
• To support performance excellence at each occupational level.

Benefits:

Improved Collaboration Across Teams

• Leaders with the correct mindset prioritise the needs and objectives of others, leading to stronger collaboration between teams and departments.
• Silos and conflicts are reduced, as leaders focus on shared goals rather than personal agendas.

Enhanced Leadership Effectiveness

• Leaders with an improved mindset are more empathetic and responsive, enabling them to inspire and engage their teams more effectively.
• Decision-making improves as leaders consider the broader impact of their actions on others.

Increased Employee Engagement

• When leaders adopt an improved mindset, they create an environment where employees feel valued and understood.
• Employees are more motivated and committed when they perceive their leaders as supportive and aligned with their goals.

Strengthened Organisational Culture

• An improved mindset fosters a culture of accountability, trust, and mutual respect.
• This cultural shift can help the organisation attract and retain top talent, as employees prefer workplaces with positive, collaborative environments.

Better Conflict Resolution

• Leaders with an improved mindset are more adept at resolving conflicts by understanding others' perspectives and finding mutually beneficial solutions.
• This reduces friction and improves relationships at all levels of the organisation.

Increased Adaptability and Innovation

• Leaders with an improved mindset are more open to feedback and new ideas, which encourages innovation.
• The organisation becomes more adaptable to change as leaders work together to address challenges collectively.

Improved Customer Relationships

• An improved mindset ensures that leaders and teams prioritise customer needs, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.
• A customer-focused approach can drive business growth and competitive advantage.

Sustainable Performance Improvements

• The shift in mindset creates long-term behavioural changes that enhance performance across the organisation.
• Leaders become more focused on achieving results that benefit both the organisation and its stakeholders.

Alignment with Organizational Goals

• Leaders with the correct mindset have improved alignment in their actions with the organization's mission and values, ensuring that individual and team efforts contribute to overall success

Reduced Burnout and Increased Well-being

• An improved mindset reduces the stress associated with defensive or self-cantered behaviours, leading to healthier work environments.
• Leaders and employees experience greater job satisfaction and resilience.

In CUT’s Employment Equity Plan (2020-2024), several barriers related to the employment of People with Disabilities. In addition, CUT’s workforce profile in terms of representation of employees with disabilities as a designated group in the Employment Equity Plan.

It is therefore the employer’s responsibility to implement affirmative action’s measures to eliminate these barriers and to increase representation.

Project Goals and Objectives:

With this project, Human Resources aims to address these barriers through affirmative action measures aimed at increasing awareness of disability in the workplace and the types of reasonable accommodation that employees might expect from the university, as well as representation of employees with disabilities in CUT

Benefits:

Promotion of Inclusivity and Equity

• The disability awareness campaign fosters a culture of inclusivity by educating employees about the challenges and contributions of individuals with disabilities.
• It aligns with South Africa’s legislative frameworks, such as the Employment Equity Act and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, ensuring the institution upholds its legal obligations to provide equal opportunities.

Enhanced Employee Morale and Productivity

• Creating a supportive environment improves morale among employees, including those with disabilities, as they feel valued and understood.
• When employees are aware of diverse needs, collaboration improves, leading to better productivity and teamwork.

Encourages Accessible and Adaptive Practices

• Awareness campaigns highlight the importance of accessibility, motivating the institution to adopt adaptive technologies, physical accommodations, and inclusive policies.
• This ensures that the workplace is equipped to support staff and students with disabilities, enhancing institutional reputation.

Strengthens Diversity and Innovation

• A diverse workforce that includes individuals with disabilities brings varied perspectives and creative problem-solving approaches.
• Awareness campaigns help employees appreciate and leverage this diversity, leading to innovation in teaching, research, and administrative practices.

Improves Stakeholder Engagement and Reputation

• An inclusive workplace demonstrates the institution’s commitment to social justice and transformation, resonating with students, staff, funders, and the broader community
• A disability-friendly environment attracts and retains talented employees and students with disabilities, further enhancing the institution's credibility and competitiveness

This project focuses on enhancing the Brand visibility and strategic communication of the Central University of Technology through targeted initiatives. These include acquiring and managing university-owned billboard structures, rebranding the institutional identity, developing a personality-driven CUT mascot, improving the university website, and establishing a mobile production studio for dynamic content creation. The aim is to align these initiatives with CUT 2030 Vision to strengthen stakeholder engagement and academic brand equity.

Enhanced brand visibility can be defined through measurable growth in brand awareness, increased stakeholder engagement, improved regional and international visibility, and strengthened presence in strategic regions (including neighbouring countries). Metrics like billboard impressions (using QR Codes), website traffic, and engagement through social media platforms, events attendance, media coverage and workshops may serve as parameters.

Goals:

• Enhance CUT's reputation and accessibility in strategic regions.
• Modernise and streamline communication channels to attract and retain students, staff, and partners.

Objectives:

• Achieve measurable growth in brand awareness in targeted regions.
• Improve stakeholder engagement through interactive platforms like the mascot and workshops.
• Enhance web traffic and digital engagement

Benefits:

• Improved regional and international visibility of the CUT brand.
• Increased enrolment and stakeholder participation driven by enhanced outreach efforts.
• A more engaging and user-friendly online platform for prospective students and partners.
• Modernised and consistent branding that resonates with contemporary audiences.
• Long-term cost efficiency through CUT-owned billboards and internal production capabilities.

Integration of solar PV modules on the rooftops to existing critical buildings with hybrid inverters in a bid of design and installed full solar PV systems. The solar PV modules integration in conjunction with the auxiliary solar components will be implemented in five buildings (ZR Mahabane, Bethuel Sethai Library, Japie van Lill Auditorium, Clement Tsehloane Keto Library and P Block). This integration will accelerate the achievement of the target from the electricity consumption by the university from renewable energy source and decrease both the electricity bills and carbon footprint.

Project Goals and Objectives:

40% of total electricity consumption to be derived from renewable energy sources with primary focused on solar PV technologies by the End of 2025. In addition to provide sustainable solution for the rolling loadshedding, unreliable grid electricity distribution by CENTLEC and minimising greenhouse gas pollution within both campuses of the university.

Benefits:

• Cost savings from electricity consumed by the university
• Energy saving from the Eskom’s national grid
• Reduction of greenhouse gases emission and mitigation of decarbonization
• Reduction in the reliance of the electricity from the Eskom national grid
• The project is techno-economic viable with favourable payback period

Expansion of smart and efficient hot water heating technology (heat pump units retrofitting thermocube) in Eendrag residence to provide adequate and cost effective sanitary hot water. The project involved the replacement of the old and inefficient geysers in conjunction of the reticulations with the heat pump units retrofitting the thermocube. In addition, the installed efficient hot water system will be installed with data acquisition system to monitor and evaluate its economic, social and environmental benefits. Furthermore, additional ultrasonic flow meters will be purchase and installed on the hot water systems in the new residences (both at Bloemfontein and Welkom campuses) to track the hot water consumptions.

Project Goals and Objectives:

30% of total water consumption to be derived from harness natural Water sources by end of 2025 and utilization of heat pump water heaters for efficient hot water usage and cost-effective production of sanitary hot water heating.

In addition to provide sustainable solution for all year-round hot water solutions and credible savings from hot water consumption in the CUT student residences.

Benefits:

• Cost saving on the electricity consumed due to sanitary hot water heating
• Energy saving on the volume of hot water consumed
• Reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases within the campus
• Sustainability of the volume of water save as a result of performance of tracking reports

The old CUT Esters meters due to discontinuity and out of calibration will be migrated from the UMFA online energy management system to the new Advanced Monitoring Management system that is currently monitoring over 70 CUT panel track power meters. The migration of the old meters and recalibration will be achieved by replacing the existing GSM links with compactable AMS GSM links and communication cable to facilitate setup and configuration of the old Esters energy meters into the new Advanced monitoring solution’s energy management system.

Project Goals and Objectives:

To maintain reliability and accuracy of the Esters energy meters and ensure calibration are performed in accordance with SANAS standards.

To provide credible power and energy data for the buildings and entire campus that are essential to track the savings or in performing energy performance contract (EPC) for specific buildings.

Benefits:

• Prevention of loss of both historical data and current electricity consumption data
• Continuity of the measurement and verification procedures to track the energy consumed within the university campuses
• Ensure credible energy data is available to perform the EPC for the buildings within the university campus
• To ensure the online energy management system is up to date and can be remotely monitored in real time.