Page 60 - DUT Annual Report 2023

The increase in the number of our instructional/ research staff who hold doctoral qualifications is significantly important, as these staff contribute to our total research output, both in terms of publication outputs and successful supervision of our PG students to completion.
Staff with doctoral qualifications have high level of expertise in a particular field or discipline, and they also possess advanced research skills, critical thinking abilities, and specialised knowledge that are essential for producing high-quality research outputs. There has been an increase in the publication units in 2023. The research output per capita has demonstrated a rising trend, increasing from 1.13 in 2019 to 1.56 in 2023, as illustrated in Table 7, but a slight decrease in 2021 is noted. According to the DHET approved Research Output Sector Report, DUT ranked first among UoTs for publication output units by publication type in 2022, accounting for a 2.31% share of the overall sector units. Table 7 provides a breakdown of research outputs by publication type.
TABLE 7:
Research outputs by publication type
Publication Type
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023 (Under audit & Review)
Journals
300,07
370,43
410,62
461,38
487,35
Proceedings
19,97
30,14
28,22
27,03
67,01
Books and Chapters
63,74
48,40
46,40
76,19
66,89
Creative Research Outputs
-
-
-
1,50
2,50
Total
383,78
448,97
485,24
566,10
623,75
Research outputs reflected in hundreds (’00)
RESEARCH IMPACT AND RANKINGS 2023
In 2023, DUT achieved remarkable recognition, reinforcing its position as a leading university in South Africa and across the African continent. The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings placed DUT among the prestigious Top 10 universities in South Africa and within the esteemed Top 25 universities in Africa. This accomplishment reflected DUT’s commitment to academic excellence, research, innovation, and global competitiveness. Furthermore, DUT attained a commendable position within the top 1001–1200 category among a total of 1,904 universities, spanning 108 countries and regions worldwide. This recognition underscored DUT’s impact and influence within the global higher education landscape. In addition to its global standing, DUT was honoured as one of the Top 13 universities in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the 2023 THE Sub-Saharan Africa university rankings. This accolade, among 88 universities from 20 countries in the region, highlighted DUT’s commitment to addressing critical challenges faced by Africa, including graduate employability, teaching excellence, research impact, and societal inequality.
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DUT ANNUAL REPORT 2023