Research and Innovation Awards Ceremony | Durban University of Technology

The 2019 Research and Innovation Awards were held on the 22nd November 2019 at the Hilton Hotel, Durban, to recognise excellence and achievements of the DUT researchers and innovators. The University has experienced rapid growth in its research performance over the last five years, achieving above its planned targets for the period 2015-2019 and in terms of the impact of the publications (according to Scival accessed 31st October 2019), DUT performed above the global average of 1.

This increase is due to the efforts of those staff who strive for excellence, completed their doctorates, published in high impact journals, supervised pools of postgraduate students and competed for external grants to support the R&I activities.

In terms of actual institutional counts for 2019, DUT recorded 238.40 publications with 262 unique authors of which 35% (92) are female and 65%(170) are male. The percentage of academic staff with doctorates has increased from 24% (2017) to 29.6% (2019). The postgraduate percentage of enrolments has remained at 4% of the total enrolments. Additionally, in 2019, DUT supported 491 postgraduate students from both institutional and NRF grants that amounted to a total of R33 043 174. The number of National Research Foundation researchers increased from 30 in 2018 to 37 in 2019. In 2019, of the 37 NRF Rated Researchers, 30% are female and 70% are male. We hope to continue focusing on this to increase the number of female rated researchers.

The main host of the institutional awards, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Thandwa Zizwe Mthembu, emphasised the importance of performance management and how the R&I awards measure precisely key indicators which can identify staff who perform above the average. For 2019, the staff who had excelled above average in the R&I areas would get incentives which had been discussed with the DVC for Research, Innovation & Engagement. This was the first time the University has recognised R&I performance significantly and in line with benchmarked values! .

They keynote speakers for the awards evening included Dr Molapo Qhobela the Chief Executive Officer of the National Research Foundation. Dr Qhobela’s talk focussed on the need to continue to strive for excellence in research, promoting academic autonomy combined with research ethics and integrity. He further commended the researchers at the University for their hard work that has resulted in the growth of research outputs.

The second keynote speaker, Mr Sandras J. Phiri, Director: Startup Grind South Africa and CEO and co-founder: Africa Trust Academy, spoke about self-investment. He went further to explain that it is important for individuals to value themselves and explained that this is the basis of building the platform for entrepreneurship.

The awards evening was also attended by external stakeholders such as Councillor Fawzia Peer, Ms Susan D Knowles, Educational Specialist, Corporate Affairs, U.S. Embassy, Consulate General Durban  and Acting Consul General Ding Qiao from the Chinse Consulate General and Mr Mahmoud Youssef Baker from the IQRAA Trust (member of the DUT Foundation & Donor). Internal guests included Dr Isaac Machi, DVC: People and Operations; Prof Sibusiso Moyo, DVC: Research Innovation and Engagement; Prof Kevin Duffy, Research and Postgraduate Director (Acting); Executive Deans: Prof Nokuthula Sibiya (Health Sciences) and Prof Suren Singh (Applied Sciences); Deputy Deans: Prof Paul Musonge (Engineering and the Built Environment) and Prof Brian Pearce (Arts & Design); Dr Vuyo Mthethwa, Senior Director: Human Resources; Dr Frank Wu, Confucius Institute; Prof Faizal Bux, Director: Institute for Water and Wastewater and DUT – Staff and Postgraduate Students.

The DVC Research, Innovation & Engagement, Professor Sibusiso Moyo, acknowledged the Vice-Chancellors’ strategic vision and intervention in scaling up the 2019 R&I awards and promoting excellence and performance management which would ensure our researchers have something to aspire to with clear indicators which will be refined to ensure everyone understands how they can participate and compete for the R&I awards from 2020 onwards. She thanked the Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate, the Guest Speakers, Guests, Staff and students.

The highlights of the evening were the recipients who excelled based on their 2018 outputs inclusive of a number of indicators over and above the publications, postgraduate students supervised and grants acquired including mentorship of emerging researchers. Congratulations to the following recipients:

NO CATEGORY NAME AFFILIATION
1 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S AWARD Professor Faizal Bux Institute for Water & Wastewater Technology
2 SENIOR RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD
Professor Nokuthula Maureen Sibiya Faculty of Health Sciences
3 WOMEN RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD 
Professor Nirmala Dorasamy  Faculty of Management Sciences
4 JUNIOR RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD 
Dr Dumsile Hlengwa Faculty of Management Sciences
5 RESEARCH INITIATIVE
OF THE YEAR
Professor Krishnan Kanny Composite Research Group
6 RESEARCH GROUP
OF THE YEAR
Professor Krishnan Kanny Composite Research Group
7   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INNOVATOR OF THE
OF THE YEAR AWARD (GROUP)   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Venugopala, Katharigatta
Narayanaswamy
Faculty of Applied Sciences
Prof Bharti Odhav Faculty of Applied Sciences
Dr Mohanlall, Viresh Faculty of Applied Sciences
Mr Kasumbwe Kabange Faculty of Applied Sciences
8   

 

 

 

 

CREATIVE OUTPUTS OF
THE YEAR AWARD  

 

 

 

 

Prof Debbie Lutge Department of Drama
Mr Mdu Mtshali Department of Drama
Ms Jo Voysey Department of Fine Arts and Jewellery Design
9 FACULTY RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD
Platinum category 
Dr Odunayo Olarewaju Department of Management Accounting
10 FACULTY RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD 
Gold Category
Prof Richard Millham Department of Information Technology
11 FACULTY RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD 
Platinum category
Prof Innocent Davidson Department of Electrical Power Engineering
12 FACULTY RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD
Gold Category
Dr Yusuf Isa Department of Chemical Engineering
13 FACULTY RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD
Platinum category
Prof Poovendhree Reddy Department of Community Health Studies
14 FACULTY RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD
Gold Category
Professor Firoza Haffejee Department of Basic Medical Sciences
15 FACULTY RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD 
Platinum category
Professor Nirmala Dorasamy Department of Governance and Economics
16 FACULTY RESEARCHER
OF THE YEAR AWARD 
Gold Category
Dr Robert Walter Dumisani Zondo Department of Entrepreneurial Studies and Management
17 TOP PUBLISHED MASTERS STUDENT
OF THE YEAR AWARD
Mr Bakusele Kabane Department of Chemistry
18 UNIVERSITY TOP PUBLISHED DOCTORAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD Mr Nyane Ezekiel Macdonald Mofokeng Faculty of Management Sciences
19 FACULTY TOP PUBLISHED DOCTORAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR Dr Rajasekhar Chokkareddy Faculty of Applied Sciences
Department of Chemistry
20 FACULTY TOP PUBLISHED DOCTORAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR Dr Grace Temiloluwa Agbede Faculty of Arts & Design
Department fo Media Language and Communication
21 FACULTY TOP PUBLISHED DOCTORAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR Mr Isaac Opeyemi Olalere Faculty of Eng & the Built Environment
Department of Industrial Engineering
22 FACULTY TOP PUBLISHED DOCTORAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR Dr Stanley Chibuzor Onwubu Faculty of Health Sciences
Department of Dental Sciences
23 RECOGNITION AWARD: IN
RECOGNITION OF RECEIVING
THE ENI AWARD IN THE CATEGORY:
YOUNG TALENTS FROM AFRICA
Mr Emmanuel Kweinor Tetteh Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
Department of Chemical Engineering
24 RESEARCH IMPACT AWARD: Professor Faizal Bux Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology
25 TOP UNIVERSITY JOURNAL PUBLISHERS
FOR ACCREDITED
OUTPUTS – Gold category
Professor Dimov Stojce Ilcev Space Science Institute
26 TOP UNIVERSITY JOURNAL PUBLISHERS
FOR ACCREDITED
OUTPUTS – Silver category
Professor Nokuthula Maureen Sibiya Faculty of Health Sciences
27 TOP UNIVERSITY JOURNAL PUBLISHERS
FOR ACCREDITED
OUTPUTS – Bronze category
Dr Robert Walter Dumisani Zondo Department of Entrepreneurial Studies and Management
28 TOP JOURNAL PUBLISHERS FOR
ACCREDITED OUTPUTS (PDFS, RAS & RFS)
Dr Andrea Giampiccoli Research Fellow: Faculty of Management Sciences
29 TOP JOURNAL PUBLISHERS FOR
ACCREDITED OUTPUTS (PDFS, RAS & RFS)
Dr Zloshchastiev Konstantin Research Fellow: Institute for System Science
30 NEWLY RATED RESEARCHERS –
Y2 CATEGORY
Dr Lawrence Madikizela Faculty of Applied Sciences
Department of Chemistry
31 NEWLY RATED RESEARCHERS –
C2 CATERGORY
Professor Oluwatosin Ademola Ijabadeniyi Faculty of Applied Sciences Biotechnology and Food Technology
32 NEWLY RATED RESEARCHERS –
Y2 CATEGORY
Dr Anisa Vahed Faculty of Health Sciences
Dental Sciences
33 NEWLY RATED RESEARCHERS –
Y2 CATEGORY
Dr Saheed Sabiu Faculty of Applied Sciences Biotechnology and Food Technology
34 NEWLY RATED RESEARCHERS –
Y2 CATEGORY
Dr Oludolapo Akanni Olanrewaju Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environemnt
Department of Industrial Engineering
35 RE-RATED RESEARCHERS – B1 CATEGORY Professor Michael Chapman Faculty of Arts & Design
36 RE-RATED RESEARCHERS – C3 CATEGORY Professor Kevin Duffy Institute for System Science
37 RE-RATED RESEARCHERS – C2 CATEGORY Professor Geoffrey Harris Peace Studies Programme
Faculty of Management Sciences
38 RE-RATED RESEARCHERS – C1 CATEGORY Professor Krishnan Kanny Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environemnt
Department of Mechanical Engineering
39 RE-RATED RESEARCHERS – B2 CATEGORY Professor Julia Preece Faculty of Arts & Design
Unit of Adult and Community Education 
40 RE-RATED RESEARCHERS – B3 CATEGORY Professor Suren Singh Faculty of Applied Sciences
41 RECOGNITION OF SUPERVISORS
Gold category
Professor Nokuthula Maureen Sibiya Faculty of Health Sciences
42 RECOGNITION OF SUPERVISORS
Silver  category
Professor Geoffrey Harris Peace Studies Programme
Faculty of Management Sciences
43 RECOGNITION OF SUPERVISORS
Bronze category
Professor Olugbara Oludayo Faculty of Accounting & Informatics

 

 

 

 

Pictured: Professor Sibiya for Senior Researcher of the Year, Professor Bux for: VICE-CHANCELLOR’S AWARD and RESEARCH IMPACT AWARD and DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Thandwa Mthembu

Prof S Moyo, Ms V Govender and Dr K Oparinde.