Page 12 - DUT Engagement Summary Report

• • Innovate Durban has partnered with DUT DUT and DUT DUT Innobiz • • Online symposium entitled “Innovation in in educational on on on on the Innovation for African Universities Programme assessment: perceptions constraints and prospects (IAU) • Engagement with sector education and training authorities
(SETAs) eWOW (World of Work) and Work-Integrated Student Placements 2021 continued and we hosted our partners in October 2021 • Despite the the the impact of both the the the pandemic and and the the the disturbance of businesses in in KZN by recent disruptions DUT was able to continue with work integrated learning (WIL) placements Our target was to reach 3 500 by the end of 2021 According to the updated report received from Cooperative Education on on 7 September 2021 we still had demand for 1 000 more students to be placed with 3 020 placed It was hoped that after the eWOW we would be able to place more students by the the end of the the year The students were enrolled in in the following Faculties/ Programmes:
• Faculty of Accounting and Informatics
• Faculty of Management Sciences
• Faculty of Applied Sciences
• Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment Our Target for WIL funding exceeded R12 243 000 in in 2021 Increased demand and and and and the the impact of both the the pandemic and and and and disruption of businesses were challenges One intervention was bringing our industry partners to the table through eWOW and more than 100 companies attended Students were encouraged to attend and engage with the various companies which would potentially recruit them With regard to engagement with Higher Education Institutions and and TVETs (National and and International Engagement) in 2021 we engaged with various institutions at at both national and and international levels DUT engaged with and and prepared a a a a a a a Memorandum of Understanding with the following institutions:
• Guangzhou Sister University Network (GISU) – with a a grant for for RMB 150 000 awarded for for Entrepreneurship and Innovation • British Innovation for Africa Partnership Network agreements involving Sheffield Hallam University Innovate Durban (ecosystem partner) Kisii University in Kenya and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in in Nigeria • Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) Nigeria which was attended by the two Vice-Chancellors Professors T T Z Mthembu (DUT) and and Smaranda Olarinde (ABUAD) as part of of the DUT- ABUAD ABUAD Memorandum of of the Agreement signing ceremony • The University of Kigali Rwanda which was signed on 29 March 2022 In addition DUT participated in in a a a a a number of TVET seminars and discussions via the the UNESCO UNEVOC including the the following of note:
e-assessment model between equity and reliability” • Engagement with the UNESCO-UNEVOC that organised a a consultation meeting with select UNEVOC Centres in in October 2021 The consultation aimed to to gather feedback on the entrepreneurial learning guide co-designed with the Centre and to share experiences of delivering
entrepreneurial learning in in TVET to disadvantaged youth • UNESCO TVET Strategy consultation workshop 2022- 2029 which took place in September 2021 to to discuss the new strategy strategy when the strategy strategy for 2016-2021 comes to an an end [See Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) (2016-2021) - - UNESCO Digital
Library for details ]
The Global Skills Academy (GSA) is UNESCO’s global initiative that aims to help young people build skills for employability and resilience Through the GSA UNESCO has already supported 140 000 participants in various skills programmes Many of the DUT Institutes have also signed up for these courses that are targeted at teachers trainers students and trainees UNEVOC Network members can register their Institutes for various pro-bono courses offered by GSA partner companies There is no cost on the University/TVET side Since the COVID-19 regulations limited physical contact/ interactions most of the engagements with quad-helix partners were conducted virtually and on on hybrid platforms We share some of these engagements below to highlight how the the University has been able to to adjust to to the the new normal and use digital platforms for for engagement The International Centre for Nonviolence (ICON) has continued to lead dialogues that bring to the table key social-economic and transformational issues that need attention especially around gender-based violence and the the questions of of power relations the the role of of communities and and key role players in in in creating sustainable and and safe environments for all This was partly also in response to the the request by DUT Management to to respond to to the the violence and looting that took place in in July 2021 ICON collaborates with a a number of DUT entities like the Urban Futures Centre the Gender Justice Health and Human Development focus area Faculties selected non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and and community partners that share our values and and sense of urgency to deal with current issues affecting our society Corporate Affairs ITSS and Audio-Visual remain instrumental in in supporting all all engagements In terms of challenges there is room to to improve the the technology platforms to to make them more dynamic Below is is a a a a list of of some of of the virtual engagements hosted by DUT in 2021 • Interactive webinar on on Transforming our Heritage on on 21 21 October 2021 on Microsoft Teams with panellists from the Gandhi Development Trust Inspirational Institute Urban Futures Centre Technology Transfer and ICON See 10 // ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY REPORT 2021 //