(AGENPARL) – Wed 14 May 2025 PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
14 May 2025
CUT academics awarded the DHET University Staff Doctoral Programme: Junior Research Fellowship
Two Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) academics have been awarded the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) University Staff Doctoral Programme: Junior Research Fellowship for 2025 – 2026, aimed at supporting grant recipients over a maximum period of two years to increase their research productivity.
Dr. Nolwazi Qumbisa, through her research project on A multi-level framework for evaluating the functionality, sustainability, and affordability performance of IBT-enabled affordable housing in South Africa. And Dr. Mantoa Molete, through her research project on the Reform of curricula: creating the language practice entrepreneur.
Lecturer and the Head of Department in the Built Environment Department, faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology; Dr. Qumbisa, will conduct research aimed at developing a multi-level evaluation framework to assess the functionality, sustainability, and affordability of affordable housing enabled by Innovative Building Technologies (IBTs) in South Africa. “This research is driven by the urgent need to address housing shortages, rapid urbanization, and the growing impact of climate change on vulnerable communities. The study will integrate stakeholder perspectives, including those of residents, policymakers, and developers to identify satisfaction drivers and key performance indicators. Through a mixed-methods approach involving systematic literature review, expert panels using the Delphi method, real-world case studies, and focus group discussions, the research will generate a robust framework tailored to the South African context,” explained Dr. Qumbisa.
Dr. Molete, a Lecturer and Departmental Manager in the Department of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, will undertake a research project that reviews the current Language and media studies curriculum offered by CUT. “With the recent changes in the global market and demand for language solutions, the curriculum needs to equip graduates with skills to identify current needs in language services and design creative language solutions for local and global language users. The current curriculum is mainly based on the theoretical and conceptual understanding of language and language learning theories. This is suitable for a traditional corporate culture, where language application is still trapped in conventional methods language application. It aims to bring fought transformation and development of the current curriculum, to ensure a fit-for-purpose program that speaks to the needs of the industry by including entrepreneurship as a module,” said Dr. Molete.
Captions:
1. Lecturer and the Head of Department in the Built Environment Department, faculty of Engineering, Built Environment, and Information Technology; Dr. Nolwazi Qumbisa.
2. Dr. Mantoa Molete, a Lecturer and Departmental Manager in the Department of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Humanities.
More about CUT
CUT is the foremost higher education institution in the heartland of South Africa, dedicated to quality education and training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. CUT boasts pockets of excellence, including a premier hotel school and leading research and innovation platforms, i.e., world-class 3D printing technology through medical product development.
For more information about CUT visit http://www.cut.ac.za
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