Page 12 - DUT 2025 Engagement Report Q2

Department of Industrial Engineering actively participated in several initiatives, including the WISA KZN Nature Walk/Hike in May 2025, promoting women’s participation in the water sector and sustainable development.The department also took part in the Industry Connect session and the First-Year Meet and Greet in April 2025, fostering community among students and strengthening academia-industry relationships. Partners include UKZN, WISA, Sasol, uMngeni Water, BORDA, Talbot, Msinsi Nagle Dam, and the eThekwini Municipality.
Department of Architecture participated in a McGraw Hill Connect workshop in May 2025, exploring the use of digital tools in teaching and learning.
Department of Town and Regional Planning engaged with industry through two key events: the Council for the Built Environment ministerial reporting and stakeholder dialogue at the University of Stellenbosch in May 2025, focusing on strengthening collaboration with academic institutions for skills pipeline development; and contributing to a South African Planning Commission study on challenges in the planning profession in April 2025.
Department of Mechanical Engineering continued its collaboration with Tiger Brands, focusing on identifying semester-long student projects. Other participating departments included Electrical Power Engineering, Electronic and Computer Engineering, and Industrial Engineering. The department also initiated an Alumni Identity Programme aimed at reconnecting with alumni and promoting postgraduate studies. Initial engagements with the DUT Alumni Office have laid the groundwork for hosting a dedicated alumni event before the end of 2025.
In strengthening strategic partnerships, DUT has formed partnerships with several organizations in industrial engineering education and research, including the Additive Manufacturing Design Institute, Hydrogen South Africa, Hydrogen-Africa, RENAC Academy, Powerstar, Air Products, SAPVIA, ElectroMechanica, SolarMD, FibreTech, Checkers, EWSETA, and the Vaal University of Technology. Memoranda of Understanding have been signed with GIZ,Air Products, and SolarMD.
The university continues to foster partnerships that bridge academia and industry, particularly in the advancement of wastewater treatment technologies and sustainability. Partnerships have been developed with organizations such as Water JPI, local universities, municipalities, water utilities, and the South African Association for Marine Biological Research. These collaborations have been supported by long-term engagement with former postdoctoral fellows and research associates, leading to the formation of the Research Focus Area: Water. This platform has facilitated collaboration and mentorship, resulting in the growth of a community of researchers, some of whom have earned NRF ratings.
DUT participated in various G20 Summit Outreach Programmes, including co-facilitating a seminar session on disaster risk management and community resilience alongside eThekwini Disaster Practitioners, the South African Red Cross Society, and various NGOs at the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group held at the Durban ICC in April 2025. DUT also participated at the
G20 Outreach Provincial Programme hosted by the Department of Higher Education and Training at Majuba TVET College in June 2025. Additionally, DUT was represented at the Inclusive by Design: Considering DRR for Gender and Sexual Minorities online conference hosted by DRR Dynamics in June 2025.
The CI at DUT has been leading several impactful initiatives aimed at strengthening international collaboration and enhancing skills development. One such initiative is the South African Commodity Display Center in China, which provides an opportunity for young South African entrepreneurs to engage with the Chinese market. The CI is also planning to host two training programmes in October 2025, one focused on Chinese+ E-Commerce and the other on Chinese+ Agriculture, to facilitate technology adoption and skills development among local participants.
In a move to deepen strategic cooperation, the CI has reached agreements with Huawei and Dahua Technology to jointly host a “Chinese + Digital Technology” training conference in 2025. Additionally, ongoing discussions with Huawei include the establishment of an AI Demonstration Lab at DUT CI. This lab is intended to support the China-Africa Chinese+TVET Development Center and will provide online training modules in various technology fields. Huawei is currently drafting a Memorandum of Understanding and implementation plan, including design specifications, equipment lists, and quotations.
DUT has also signed an agreement with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture to launch an agricultural cooperation demonstration project. As part of this initiative, regular “Chinese + Agricultural Technology” training workshops will be conducted to strengthen capacity in the local agricultural sector.
DUT’s entrepreneurship and innovation hub, Innobiz DUT, in collaboration with DUT curriculum developers, took part in the KwaZulu-Natal leg of the EDHE “Embedding Entrepreneurship into the Curriculum” programme.This Fulbright Specialist initiative aims to help South African universities build sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems through interactive workshops involving academic leadership and innovation professionals.
Following DUT TTI’s participation in the 2025 World IP Day celebrations, a delegation from the eThekwini Municipality’s Business Unit visited DUT to explore potential synergies between municipal objectives and DUT’s research and innovation activities. The visit, held in May 2025, included engagement with various faculties and showcased several initiatives such as biotech projects, a chemical engineering bio-brick research facility, and a mushroom cultivation project using bagasse. The Marketing and Retail Department, together with CSERI, also involved students in marketing support for incubatees and hosted industry-led workshops on design thinking and digital marketing.
2.3.2 Industry-specific Projects and Research
The Department of Industrial Engineering has initiated a Graduate Intern Placement Programme and submitted a proposal for graduate placements within the Footwear Manufacturing Sector Society. In Q2, a formal proposal was developed in collaboration with external partners from the Durban Footwear and Textile Incubator, Labora Footwear, and FPM SETA, and submitted to the relevant SETA.
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