Page 31 - DUT CONNECT Summer 2024

to support Hospitality and Catering Management students to secure work experience in leading hospitality organisations in the USA. Besides the hospitality experience, students will become independent and experience cultural diversity.
Dr Erasmus Mnguni, Hospitality and Tourism Head of Department, said, “I have no shadow of doubt that the knowledge and skills they will acquire in America will shape their future and instil a sense of hope and belief in their chosen career.All I can say is well done to all of them and all the best.”
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OFFICE RECOGNISES STAFF AND STUDENTS ENGAGEMENT PROJECTS THAT POSITIVELY IMPACT COMMUNITIES
The Engagement Showcase and Pitching Awards 2024 recognise and award engagement projects that positively impact communities, while aligning with the values, principles, and objectives of ENVISION2030, initiated by DUT staff and students.
1. First Prize Winner in the Staff Category, Ms Yâchal du Plessis
Community engagement project: EmpowerEDpreneurs-
Business and Social Leaders Programme
2. Runner-Ups from the Staff Category, Zandile Mahlobo,
Skhumbuzo Mdunge, Prof. Dumsile Hlengwa, Thulasizwe Nkomo
Community engagement project: Research Conversations with FMS podcast
Yâchal du Plessis, a lecturer from the Department of Applied Management, said that she was honoured to receive the award mostly because it recognises the impact that staff can make on students and the community.
NRF RATING
In April, Prof. Nirmala Dorasamy of the Department of Public Management and Economics attained a National Research Foundation (NRF) C2 Rating in recognition of her contributions to academia. “I feel quite elated considering that the robust and rigorous evaluation of my re-rating application by local and international reviewers was favourably considered at a respectful level of expertise and accomplishment,” said Prof. Dorasamy.
Based on a wide range of factors pertaining to research, supervision, community involvement, and overall contributions to the academic community, researchers are ranked by the NRF Sub-category C2 grade.
“The presence of NRF-rated researchers at DUT invariably enhances the university’s reputation, standing in the academic community, and more importantly accelerates the achievement of ENVISION2030 goals,” Prof. Dorasamy said.
3RD ANNUAL AFRICAN FOOD FESTIVAL AT THE DUT HOTEL SCHOOL
The Department of Hospitality and Tourism hosted the 3rd Annual African Food Festival at the DUT Hotel School, Ritson campus, with a theme of “Honouring our Legacy: Reclaiming African Flavours Through Decolonised Cuisine”.This annual event was organised by second-year Catering Management students.
Prof. Netswera delivered the keynote address, sharing his vision for the African Food Festival to expand to the Durban Beachfront Promenade. He expressed how he envisions an event where attendees can enjoy a variety of dishes prepared not only by the DUT Catering Management students but also by other key stakeholders in the culinary industry.
Attendees enjoyed food from all over Africa including Kenyan irion and nyama choma, Nigerian fufu with jollof rice, Moroccan lamb tagine, Mozambican prawns, Egyptian cuisine, bosbousa, as well as South African favourites of inyama yenhloko, umleqwa, and mogodu. The event took three weeks of planning with 94 students participating in various tasks.
DUT BUSINESS SCHOOL ENROLS 11 KZN MUNICIPAL COUNCILLORS FOR A HIGHER CERTIFICATE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The Durban University ofTechnology (DUT) Business School held an orientation for the newly enrolled Abaqulusi Local Municipality councillors at the ML Sultan Campus on the 4th of March.The councillors joined the DUT Business School’s Executive Education short course to complete modules in Operations Management, Financial Literacy, Introduction to Technology, Cornerstone 101, Fundamentals of Project Quality, Introduction to Organisational Effectiveness, Introduction to Project Tools and Techniques and Essentials of Project Management.The engagement was initiated by the municipality which approached the institution for an appropriate course that would help its councillors enhance their skills, improve performance and advance service delivery projects.
FIRST ANNUAL DUT FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES NON- ACADEMIC AWARDS
The first annual DUT Faculty of Management Sciences Non- Academic Awards was hosted at Coastlands Umhlanga Hotel to celebrate the support staff from various departments within the FMS faculty.These members of staff play a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of FMS, assisting both students and the faculty in a variety of ways.
This initiative aligns with the faculty’s commitment to fulfilling the tenets of DUT ENVISION2030. It aims to ensure that non-academic staff members in administrative roles are consistently recognised and acknowledged for their exceptional contributions. These awards are designed to inspire excellence by aligning staff performance and daily interactions with stakeholders to uphold the DUT Living Values principles.
In his keynote address, Prof. Netswera acknowledged the contributions made by the support staff in their various portfolios and stated that without them there would not be excellent service provision in the faculty and at DUT.
“In whatever you do, you ought to remember that you are DUT, DUT is you and the perception that you foster in the society or community that you engaging with is the face of DUT,” said Prof. Netswera.
FOR Alumni and Friends OF THE DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
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