Page 19 - DUT Annual Report 2020

DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY ANNUAL REPORT 2020
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Innovative Curricula and Research
We fully recognise that our ability to become a University that transforms societies and economies resides in our Innovative Curricula and Research, and their application to real-life problems of our society. Our ultimate goal of improving the lives and livelihoods of our broader society hinges strongly on our ability to produce novel knowledge and high-level skills that will spur on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. It is only with evidence-based decision-making, innovation and entrepreneurship that the wellbeing of our people and the broader society could improve.
At the beginning of 2020, a research output report indicated that DUT’s per capita performance leads that of Universities of Technology (UoTs), having surpassed the Tshwane UoT and Cape Peninsula UoT. Our weighted research per capita ratio of 1:11 is well above the DHET-set norm of 0.565 for the UoT sector. We are also amongst leading universities in terms of student success rates, as our Senate Report shows. For the past five years DUT has been performing above the national norm in the area of student throughput.
It is no wonder then that in September 2020 the Times Higher Education University World Rankings announced that DUT had been ranked in the top 500 universities in the world and in the top 10 in the world for citations (of our research), and amongst the top 5 South African universities. This is but one measure demonstrating the relevance, use and impact of the knowledge produced by our researchers. While we celebrate this outstanding feat, we are not oblivious to the important work we
TSHWANE UoT &
CAPE PENINSULA UoT
DHET-set norm 0.565 for UoTs
still need to do, not only to maintain this position but also to ensure that the knowledge we produce or that is produced elsewhere strategically positions us as the first port of call for the innovative solutions our localities, region and nation seek. We seek to lead when it comes to creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, as we have already started to do.
Our Senate Report will show that we made considerable progress in 2020 to finalise the alignment of our curricula to the Higher Education Qualification Sub- Framework (HEQSF). This alignment process has not just been a matter of compliance, but an opportunity to reimagine our curricula and research through a number of initiatives. These include but are not limited to: introducing modules on entrepreneurship across all faculties; introducing and implementing a decolonisation framework; extending our Collaborative Online Learning (COIL) programmes delivered in partnership with our international partners and introducing, as noted under the section above on Creativity, some leading teaching- learning strategies that will radically move us away from old and hackneyed teaching-learning strategies, making us more efficient and effective and our students more successful.
In respect to student success a second grant from the Kresge Foundation was secured, called Siyaphumelela 2.0, to support efforts aimed at increasing student success and improving the student experience at DUT for the next three years. Three projects were launched with this funding: Holistic Student Supports redesign (Sikusekele), Moving the Middle, and Building a Data
Experience of DUT
Improve Student
Success
per capita performance
weighted research per capita ratio 1:11
Kresge Foundation 2nd grant
Siyaphumelela 2.0
Launched 3 projects 3 Years
Holistic Student Support
Moving the Middle
Building a Data Culture
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