Professors Akash Anandraj, left, and Roger Coopoosamy
In efforts to make connections with international partners for the benefit of his faculty, Professor Roger Coopoosamy, the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and Professor Akash Anandraj, a member of the Department of Nature Conservation, and Director of the Centre for Alga Biotechnology, together with ESSENTIA GLOBAL and Science, Management, Research Consultancy and Training Academy, visited India from 24 to 26 July 2023. Professor Coopoosamy, who has extensive international connections, said they met industrial leaders in the sub-continent. Professor Coopoosamy their engagement with both national and international industrial partners has had a positive outcome. “Without divulging much for some reasons, our visit to India resulted in the acquisition of a pure water producing machine. This machine is to the tune of R500 000. At this point both Prof Anandraj and I cannot say much about it,” said Professor Coopoosamy. Suffice to say that the machine was going to eliminate the purchase of bottled water for any institution that wishes to install this innovation. “The machine does not use any input of water but produces water out of air. This could eliminate the water crisis across our country, especially in government hospitals and schools. The method utilized in the final processing of the harvested water has many health benefits as well,” said Professor Coopoosamy.
According to Professor Coopoosamy, the machine has now been completed and will be given to MUT for free to launch to the country at large. The machine will be installed in the North Campus’ research laboratory. “This innovation will uplift MUT to a new platform, bearing in mind we are a university of Technology,” said Professor Coopoosamy who also extended gratitude to Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande and his office for the funding for the revamp of the research laboratories at MUT.