Page 13 - DUT 2025 Engagement Report Q2

The Department of Town and Regional Planning is actively involved in the review of the KwaZulu-Natal Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Bill. A representative from the department serves on the Project Steering Committee, which includes members from CoGTA, EDTEA, DALRRD, various municipalities, the higher education sector, private sector planning firms, and the Ingonyama Trust. Progress across the project’s four workstreams continued throughout Q2, with work ongoing into 2025.
2.4 COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
2.4.1 Community Outreach and Development Programmes
The Department of Architecture launched a collaborative project with Inanda Seminary, in May 2025. Using Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Design Thinking (DT), students are designing a new dormitory aligned with the seminary’s heritage and sustainability goals.
The Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, in collaboration with Accounting and Informatics, launched the 2025 edition of ROBOGIRL, a flagship STEM programme that equips Grade 11 girls with skills in MicroPython, robotics, and artificial intelligence. The initiative is supported by key partners including Lenovo,Toyota, and regional schools.
In support of SDG 4, the Department of Civil Engineering conducted a paint donation initiative at Ekukhanyeni School for Special Needs, enhancing the learning environment for differently abled learners.
The Civil Engineering Department (Midlands Campus) hosted a successful Career Expo in KwaMpumuza in May 2025, drawing learners from 10 surrounding schools. Despite logistical challenges, the event exemplified the effectiveness of the Clustered Schools Outreach Model, with participation from multiple DUT departments and external partners such as UKZN, MUT, Cedara College, and the KZN EDTEA-Tourism Department.
The Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics also planned a recruitment visit to Northlands Girls’ High School in Durban to promote STEM education and civil engineering careers, particularly among underrepresented groups.
The Department of Electrical Power Engineering continued advancing the Kamberg Micro-Hydroelectric Power Plant Project, which has entered the prototype testing phase. This initiative, developed in collaboration with Mechanical Engineering and the Kamberg community, is complemented by the Riverside Agriculture Eco-Hub Development Project, where two B.Eng students are designing a reticulation plan.The department also contributed to school outreach efforts through events such as the CAO Career Expo, engaging directly with Grade 12 learners in mathematics and science.
FAI is involved in strategic partnerships to enhance student learning and skills development. One key initiative is the Microsoft project, a collaboration between DUT and Microsoft that provides students
and youth across KwaZulu-Natal with practical AI training through an online platform, offering certificate-based courses to prepare them for the digital economy. Another important partnership is the COIL project, which brings together the Department of Mathematics and the School of Education at DUT with Davao del Sur State College in the Philippines. This project focuses on co- developing innovative teaching methods for third-year Mathematics Education students, aiming to improve learning strategies for the 21st century.
The DUT Student Recruitment Unit has significantly intensified its outreach activities during this quarter. A total of 32 school visits were conducted in April and May, reaching 3,160 individual learners. Additionally, the team participated in multiple career expos across KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, engaging with 41,322 learners from 764 schools. A major highlight was DUT’s Open Week held in May 2025, which welcomed 9,411 learners from 84 schools.The event provided prospective students with the opportunity to explore DUT’s campuses, academic programmes, and support facilities.
Recruitment initiatives during April and May spanned various regions, including school visits in Mahlabathini and eThekwini, as well as major career exhibitions in the iLembe, Zululand, Harry Gwala, uMzinyathi, and uThukela districts. Further outreach included the CAO Career Expo, the Molweni Circuit Expo, and targeted school visits in Umtata, Eastern Cape. In total, 796 schools were reached and 53,893 learners engaged during this period.
The DUT Confucius Institute (CI), led a delegation of CI teachers and students to the Second G20 Education Working Group Meeting in the North-West Province in May 2025. Hosted by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training, the delegation also attended the Ministerial Dinner and Student Exchange. CI used the platform to highlight the achievements of DUT, the Confucius Institute, and its Chinese partner Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU) in promoting language exchange and youth development.
In celebration of International Chinese Language Day, CI hosted a cultural event titled “Chinese: A Gift Across Time and Space” in April 2025 at Ocean Mall. Activities included Chinese character writing, tea art demonstrations, Hanfu try-ons, and cultural festival presentations.The event attracted hundreds of local participants, fostering deeper cultural appreciation and understanding.
ICON hosted a workshop on mental health, wellness, GBV and GBTQ in various communities, promoting critical dialogue and the co-creation of solutions among DUT staff and stakeholders.
The Innobiz DUT and several DUT departments engaged directly with Grade 11 and 12 learners at the Mpumuza Traditional Council Career Expo, promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, academic opportunities, and support services. Innobiz DUT and the SWEEP DUT Chapter also took part in the Women in Entrepreneurship Empowerment Programme hosted by the Women of Worth Movement Society in collaboration with the uMgungundlovu District Municipality and the NYDA, offering mentorship and inspiration to aspiring women entrepreneurs.
DUT’s Community Engagement Office, in collaboration with
2025 Quarter 2 Engagement Report 11