Foreword by the Vice-Chancellor

During my career, I have often drawn great inspiration from the work of Jim Collins, and especially from his book Good to Great. For Collins, “Good is the enemy of great.” As Vice-Chancellor, I regularly ask myself and my executive team, “How can we make CPUT greater?” What I have learned from Collins is that the journey from good to great is dependent on disciplined people, thoughts and actions, which he calls the Hedgehog Concept*.

CPUT’s research journey is indeed one which demonstrates that greatness is possible. Though our research beginning more than a decade ago was humble, I am today extremely proud of what we have achieved. Our accomplishments result from disciplined thoughts and actions. We understand that we can only produce results that exceed expectations by being passionate. One of our values is definitely being passionate about what we are doing.

In 2005, we became a university of technology, and had to start building a research culture from first principles. By following Collins’s hedgehog concept, being passionate about what we do, in this case research, and working in a disciplined way, we have made quantum leaps.

Being a ‘Smart University’ implies that we engage in smart research, technology innovation and partnerships. Therefore, we do not see ourselves conducting research for the sake of conducting research. Rather, we continue in a disciplined way to ensure CPUT’s research has relevance and impact, thus contributing towards solving societal problems that impact on millions of South Africans.

Congratulations to all our smart research achievers – without your disciplined actions it would not be possible to make CPUT greater. Keep adhering to your core beliefs, keep gaining momentum, and you will continue to make great breakthroughs.

To all our readers, a warm welcome. I thank you for joining CPUT in its celebration of research in this Research Report 2020. I trust you will enjoy reading through the report as much as I have.

Prof Chris Nhlapo

Vice-Chancellor

* Footnote:

The Hedgehog Concept is a simple, crystalline concept that flows from deep understanding about the intersection of three circles: 1) what you are deeply passionate about, 2) what you can be the best in the world at, and 3) what best drives your economic or resource engine. Transformations from good to great come about by a series of good decisions made consistently with a Hedgehog Concept, supremely well executed, accumulating one upon another, over a long period of time. Please visit https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/thehedgehog-concept.html if you’d like to find out more.

VOORWOORD DEUR DIE VISIEKANSELIER

Prof Chris Nhlapo

Gedurende my loopbaan het ek dikwels groot inspirasie geput uit die werk van Jim Collins, en veral uit sy boek Good to Great. Collins sê: “Goed is die vyand van groots.” As visiekanselier vra ek gereeld vir myself en my uitvoerende span: “Hoe kan ons CPUT uitstekend maak?” Wat ek by Collins geleer het, is dat die reis van goed na groots afhanklik is van gedissiplineerde mense, denke en optrede, wat hy die Krimpvarkie-konsep (‘Hedgehog concept’)* noem.

CPUT se navorsingsreis is inderdaad een wat bewys dat uitnemendheid moontlik is. Alhoewel ons eerste treë in die navorsingsveld meer as ’n dekade gelede baie nederig was, is ek vandag uiters trots op wat ons bereik het. Ons prestasies is die resultaat van gedissiplineerde akademiese werk, denke en aksies wat spruit daaruit dat ons verstaan dat ons slegs bo verwagting kan presteer as ons passievol is. Een van ons waardes is beslis dat ons passievol is oor wat ons doen.

Ons het in 2005 ’n universiteit vir tegnologie geword en ons moes begin om ’n navorsingskultuur te bou uit kernbeginsels. Deur Collins se krimpvarkie-konsep te volg, deur passievoel te wees oor wat ons doen, navorsing in hierdie geval, en deur gedissiplineerd te werk, het ons reusespronge gegee.

Om ’n ‘Slim Universiteit’ te wees impliseer dat ons slim te werk gaan met navorsing, tegnologiese innovasie en vennootskappe. Ons sien onsself dus nie as ’n universiteit wat navorsing doen ter wille daarvan om navorsing te doen nie. Ons gaan eerder voort daarmee om op ’n gedissiplineerde wyse te verseker dat CPUT se navorsing relevant is en dat dit ’n impak maak, en sodoende lewer ons ’n bydrae tot die oplossing van samelewingsprobleme wat die lewens van miljoene Suid-Afrikaners raak.

Baie geluk aan al ons navorers wat uitgeblink het oor die afgelope jaar – sonder julle gedissiplineerde optrede sou dit nie moontlik wees om CPUT groter en beter te maak nie. Volhard in julle kernwaardes, hou aan om momentum te bou, en julle sal verdere deurbrake maak!

Aan al ons lesers, hartlik welkom! Baie dankie dat julle by ons aansluit vir die viering van ons navorsing in hierdie Navorsingsverslag vir 2020. Ek vertrou dat julle die lees van die verslag net soveel soos ek sal geniet.

Prof Chris Nhlapo

Visiekanselier

* Voetnoot:

Die krimpvarkie-konsep (‘Hedgehog concept’) is ’n eenvoudige, verhelderende konsep wat voortvloei uit die diepgaande begrip van die kruising van drie sirkels: 1) dit waaroor jy diep passievol is, 2) dit waarmee jy die beste in die wêreld kan wees, en 3) dit wat jou ekonomiese of hulpbronmotor die beste aandryf. Transformasies van goed na uitstekend kom tot stand deur ’n reeks goeie besluite wat konsekwent gemaak word met die krimpvarkie-konsep, uiters goed uitgevoer word, wat die een op die ander bou, oor ’n lang tydperk. Besoek gerus https://www.jimcollins.com/ concepts/the-hedgehog-concept.html indien jy meer wil uitvind.

AMAGQABANTSHINTSHI NGUSEKELA-NGQONYELA

Njing Chris Nhlapo

Kulo lonke ixesha lokuphangela kwam, ndasoloko ndifumana inkuthazo kumsebenzi kaJim Collins, ngakumbi kwincwadi yakhe ethi ‘Good to Great’. NgokukaCollins, “Okuhle kulutshaba lokukhulu”. NjengeSekela-Ngqonyela, ndasoloko ndizibuza mna kunye neqela lesigqeba sam ukuba, “Singayenza njani iCPUT ibenkulu?” Endikufunde kuCollins kukuba indlela esuka kokulungileyo ukuya kubukhulu ixhomekeke kubantu abaqeqeshekileyo, iingcinga nezenzo azibiza ngokuba yiNgcamango enoGqaliselo (Hedgehog Concept)*.

Indlela yophando yaseCPUT ibonisa ukuba ngenene ubukhulu buyinto enokwenzeka. Nangona uphando lwethu kwixesha elingaphezu kweshumi leminyaka lwaluphantsi, namhlanje ndiziva ndinelunda loko sele sikuphumezile. Impumelelo yethu isisiphumo sezifundiswa eziqeqeshekileyo, iingcinga nezenzo ezisiqondisa ukuba singavelisa iziphumo ezingaphezu kwezilindelekileyo xa sinokuba nenyameko. Elinye ixabiso lethu kukunyamekela oko sikwenzayo.

Ukusukela ngonyaka wama2005 saye sabayiYunivesithi yobuchwepheshe, kwaye saqala ukwakha inkcubeko yophando esekelwe kwimigaqo yokuqala. Ngokulandela kwingcamango yogqaliselo kaCollins, ukuba nomdla wento oyenzayo, ukutsho oko uphando ngokwale imeko, nokusebenza ngendlela eqeqeshekileyo, kuyacaca ukuba senze imitsi engundoqo nencomekayo.

Ukuba yiYunivesithi eChubekileyo kuthetha ukuzibandakanya kuphando oluchubekileyo, iteknoloji entsha kunye nentsebenziswano. Ngoko ke, asiziboni sisenza uphando nje ngendlela yokwenza uphando. Endaweni yoko, siqhuba ngendlela eqinisekileyo ukuqinisekisa ukuba uphando lwaseCPUT lunokubaluleka kunye nefuthe, ngolo hlobo lubenegalelo ekusombululeni iingxaki ezinika impembelelo kwizigidi zabantu boMzantsi Afrika.

Sivuyisana nazo zonke iingcali zabaphandi bethu abaphumeleleyo – ngaphandle kwemisebenzi yenu egqwesileyo, besingenakuphumelela ukwenza iCPUT ibe newonga elikhulu. Qhubani nibambelele kwiinkolelo zenu ezingundoqo, qhubekani nifumane amandla, ekugqibeleni niyakude nifikelele kwinqanaba lokuphumelela.

Kubo bonke abafundi bethu, siyanamkela. Siyanibulela ngokuzibandakanya neCPUT ekubhiyozeleni uphando olukule Ngxelo yoPhando yowama2020. Ndiyathemba niyakukonwabela ukufunda le ngxelo njengoko nam ndenze njalo.

Prof Chris Nhlapo

Usekela-Ngqonyela

* Umbhalo osezantsi:

I-Ngcamango enoGqaliselo (Hedgehog Concept) yintetho elula necacileyo esekelwe kwindlela yokuqonda apho kudibana khona izangqa ezintathu ezizezi: 1) oko ukuthanda kakhulu, 2) oko unokuthi ugqwese kuko ehlabathini, 3) noko kuqhuba umdla wakho kwezoqoqosho nemithombo. Utshintsho ukusuka kokulungileyo ukuya kokukhulu, lusekelwe kuthotho lwezigqibo ezilungileyo ezenziwe ngokungaguquguqukiyo kunye neNgcamango yoGqaliselo, eyenziwe kakuhle yaze yaqokelelena ixesha elide.

LEADING TO SERVE

The Executive Director in the Office of the VC, Prof Driekie Hay-Swemmer, distinguishes herself as a servant leader. One of her biggest wishes is to assist colleagues in becoming the best they can be. “I want to plough back my knowledge and experiences and to see CPUT being a leading university of technology, known for excellence and ethical leadership,” Prof HaySwemmer declared.

Prof Driekie Hay-Swemmer

Prof Hay-Swemmer’s first job was teaching isiXhosa, and she spent most of her career in Bloemfontein at the University of the Free State. She joined CPUT in December 2019 from the BA ISAGO University in Gaborone, Botswana where she had been VC since July 2018.

Prof Hay-Swemmer had to learn to be assertive in what she calls “a man’s world” as she was often one of the only females on an executive team. “I had to break down the stereotyping of female leaders in senior positions, and was always mindful that I must be a role model for all my female colleagues – especially those younger than me.”

However, she felt that women are still underrepresented in senior management positions in higher education. “Successful female leaders in higher education should not underestimate their responsibility to mentor upcoming leaders. Sadly, everyone talks about mentorship but we do not see much of it in real life.”

In her position at CPUT, she supports the VC Prof Chris Nhlapo in his very challenging role, as well as being in charge of Quality Assurance, Academic Planning and Institutional Research, Advancement, Marketing and Communication, Transformation, and Internal Audit and Risk Management.

Prof Hay-Swemmer believes that CPUT plays a leading role in sensitising staff, students and the broader CPUT community on the important role of women in society. However, she said, “There is more to be done to empower women in higher education. More mentorship programmes are necessary and maybe we should seriously consider an academy for female leaders in higher education.”