RTI STRATEGIC INITIATIVES & PARTNERSHIPS (RTI-SIP) Prof Judy Peter (from November 2020)
Prof René Pellissier (until November 2020)
On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the viral outbreak of Covid-19 as a global pandemic. The year went on to become a watershed marked by the ‘democratising’ impact of the global pandemic – Covid-19 on one hand, and the contradictions of global inequalities in response to the pandemic on the other. The implementation of virtual pedagogic technologies in higher education (HE) was fast-tracked during this time. Of equal importance to the strategic role of SIP, was the need to align its core function with CPUT’s Strategic Plan 2021-2030 (V2030 – One Smart CPUT), and Policy Framework for Internationalisation of Education in South Africa. Other supporting factors include the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is within this context and in the light of recent disruptors since 2015 (such as #FeesMustFall, #RhodesMustFall and the water crisis) that CPUT’s V2030 addresses various issues in a Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexities and Ambiguity (VUCA) environment. SIP is also mindful of the post-pandemic era and of the trajectory of the decolonisation of HE.
STRATEGIC RESEARCH INITIATIVES TOWARDS SMART RTIP As the Research Technology Innovation & Partnerships (RTIP) portfolio ushers in the new institutional strategy, One Smart CPUT, it is an opportune time for the university to contribute to economic growth and to the GDP of the country. CPUT is producing high quality postgraduate output, excellent research that has societal impact, and an injection of innovation output into the local economy. Focus Areas 3 of the One Smart CPUT Strategy emphasises Smart RTIP that is relevant and excellent in its knowledge production. Through the development of a range of activities in line with the needs of the 4th Industrial Revolution and Circular Economy developments, we move towards Mode 2 and Mode 3 knowledge production, i.e. knowledge produced for application (Mode 2) and, more recently, fit for purpose research relevant to society (Mode 3). It is in this context that the One Smart CPUT Strategy provides CPUT with a strategic frame within which researchers seek to produce knowledge and innovation that offer solutions to the needs of society, thus creating opportunities to work in collaboration with industry, business and communities.
13 CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
“The overarching framework for SIP in a post-pandemic world is the internationalising of higher education through national and transnational collaborations and exchanges. The postcolonial Pan-African paradigm in the age of the 4th Industrial Revolution is also an important part of this framework.”
RESEARCH REPORT 2020
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR:
