News

State of the University address focuses on the present and the future of MUT

On 15 March 2024, Professor Marcus Ramogale, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal met with MUT staff and students to present the State of the University (SOTU) address. The address took place at Bozzoli Hall; others connected online, while others listened to the MUT Campus Radio. This year’s format focused specifically on the current state of finances, and what the University intends to do for its people, its invaluable workforce. For this reason, Professor Ramogale said, “I would like us to allow more time for presentations by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Rodney Delomoney and the Senior Director, Human Resources and Development, Baboo Brijlal. This is to allow more engagements and a deeper understanding into these critical areas”. The Acting Vice-Chancellor told staff that “we meet at the crossroads of rising inflation and difficult economic circumstances. But take heart that we have you as our people at the centre of everything that

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Level of engagement at SOTU shows respect for the executive

Yet again, this year’s SOTU provided both MUT staff and students an opportunity to openly engage on matters that affect them. This shows a level of stability that the University has maintained. Although both staff and students expressed frustrations at some of the challenges, these were presented in a more collegial manner to show that they understand what the Executive is trying to achieve, but at the same time expressing an appeal that the matters be addressed in a reasonable manner. Some interesting questions ranged from staff members lamenting the implementation of a performance management system, which they were assured by the senior director: HR&D, Baboo Brijlal, that that was on the cards; augmenting financial challenges with strategic funding plans, for which the CFO, Rodney Delomoney, gave assurance that there were fundraising goals set; the maintenance plan for implementation concern was also noted for speedy address. The most difficult to

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University’s CEAD runs reading competition to improve learners’ English

Being aware of the dire situation at South African schools, the University’s Community Engagement and Development (CEAD) directorate organised an English Reading Competition for Umlazi Township schools. Four lower primary schools – Sukuma Combined Primary, Mgijimi primary school, Ingelosi primary school and Embonini primary school, met at Mthethweni primary school, to take part in the competition. Each school had five grade 4 learners. Learners were judged in terms of the following categories: fluency, volume, reading performance, expression, presentation, and skills. Overall winners were Sukuma Lower Primary school learners, Minenhle Bhengu and Boniswa Mdlangathi. Their teacher, Lindeni Mkhize, said the learners were focussed and determine.  The winners receive trophies. All participants received certification of participating. CEAD’s Dr David Ighodaro said they wanted to assist learners to read with understanding. English is not the first language for learners in these schools. Deputy Director at the CEAD, Buyisiwe Ngidi, explained to the learners,

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Let us use water with great care – speakers at the Water Day celebration

The University took part in the Water Week – 20-26 March 2024, by celebrating Water Day on 19 March 2024 at the Faculty of Natural Sciences in the North Campus. The world will celebrate International Water Day, which will be on 22 March 2024. The MUT event drew together experts in water conservation and water research. During the day-long event, which was attended by guests from Umngeni-uThukela Water, eThekwini Water and Sanitation, the deans of the University’s faculties, the Community Engagement and Development directorate leadership, students and many online, speaker after speaker emphasised the centrality of water, as a scarce commodity that needs to be used with the greatest of care. Some even said water was more important than electricity. “People lived for centuries without electricity, but we cannot live without water,’ said Nothando Mkhize, guest speaker, and MUT Civil Engineering graduate, and now Deputy Chair of the Umngeni-Thukela Water.

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Library runs orientation to empower new students

Every year the University Library runs an orientation for the new students. The week-long orientation is even more important as some of the students are from schools that do not have libraries. The 2024 orientation ran from 11-15 March. Zolile Machi, Information Literacy Librarian, who runs the orientation every year, said it was essential for the students to acquire a set of information assembling skills so that they can participate fully in their learning activities. “To help students prepare themselves for the demands of the academic programme, our library offers training programmes for both new and returning students. We provide orientation to new students, and information literacy for returning students.  Over the past few weeks, groups of students from all three faculties visited the library to attend the sessions. Some of the sessions were conducted online. During the orientation, the new students were taught how to access information using the

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All set for today’s State of the University address

Professor Marcus Ramogale, MUT’s Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, will deliver a State of the University (SOTU) address to staff and students at Bozzoli Hall. The address will also be broadcast live on MUT Campus Radio and via Microsoft Teams. This is the first time that SOTU has been held before the end of the first term. And indeed, a huge milestone for the University. There is a lot of excitement among staff who are eagerly awaiting and hoping that the address will have some good news for them. “The fact that this year’s SOTU is before the end of the first term is an indication of stability on campus. The executive also listened to requests by staff to have SOTU earlier and allow them to raise matters and engage the executive earlier. We believe that this SOTU is an engagement that will also shape a two-way communication programme between the

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MUT’s LOC receives commendation from overseas

The MUT Local Organising Committee for the EnergyWaterFoodClimate Nexus Summit which is scheduled for 1-4 July 2024, has received a stamp of approval from the Founder of the  EnergyWaterFoodClimate nexus summit, Dr Victor Ibeanusi. Dr Ibeanusi is the Dean in the School of the Environment at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. “I am so impressed at the great programme that you have put together. It is a world class programme and well thought of.  This promises to be a great summit. MUT has a huge potential and today you have proved what I have always said about MUT”, he said. This is a huge milestone for the LOC Chair Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, DVC who put together a team with special skills in all the four focus areas of the summit. The team, which includes Women in Climate Change, has also advocated strongly for the inclusion of women and other vulnerable

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MUT’s Engineering Faculty dean earns C2 NRF rating

The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Babatunde Femi Bakare, was granted a C2 rating by the National Research Foundation (NRF) on 1 March 2024. This great news was delivered to Professor Bakare by the Director of the Research directorate, Dr Anette Mienie.  C2 rating means that all the reviewers are firmly convinced that the applicant is an established researcher as described. The applicant may, but need not, enjoy some international recognition for the quality and impact of their recent research output. Professor Bakare’s request for the new rating was based on the last five years of his academic activities. Responding to the news, Professor Bakare said he was “incredibly grateful and honoured” to receive the “prestigious” C2 rating from the NRF. “This recognition is incredibly meaningful and serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication poured into my research endeavours,” said Professor Bakare. Professor Bakare said

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Staff now able to make informed financial decisions after a presentation by a seasoned financial advisor

The MUT staff are now breathing a sigh of relief when they think about their finances, now and in the future.  The University staff benefited a lot from a presentation from Asogan Naicker, a financial advisor with many years of experience. Naicker is renowned for his expertise in Estate Planning, Retirement Planning and Taxation. He has been in the financial services industry for the last 36 years. He is the Business Principal at Platinum Consulting in the last 20 years. The kind of responses that staff showed indicated that they needed the presentation, and that they learnt a lot from it. Staff needed clarification on a lot of finance-related issues. The financial empowerment staff received will give them solid footing post their working days. Naicker made a very informative presentation to staff on 12 March 2024 online. His presentation was on ‘retirement planning and wills’.  Among others, Naicker talked about

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Internal auditors conduct audit to ensure the University is on a solid footing

The University’s Risk and Internal Audit continues with auditing the University departments. Mbali Khumalo, Internal Auditor: Risk and Internal Audit, said they started auditing the departments towards the end of 2023. Khumalo said that “risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying, analysing, and evaluating potential risks that could affect an organisation, project, or activity”. She said the purpose of a risk assessment was to understand the nature and magnitude of various risks and their potential impacts, to develop strategies for managing or mitigating those risks effectively. Khumalo said that so far, they have conducted departmental risks assessments for the Faculty of Engineering, the Department of Information Technology and Networks (IT&N, the Department of Finance, and the Department of Biomedical Sciences. “We have also run a strategic risks workshop with the Executive Management,” Khumalo said. Giving the reasons for conducting the audits, Khumalo said internal auditing is performed for several

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