“Our future is dependent on partnerships with affiliate institutions and other countries. South Africa has potential in many fields and we need to harvest this potential so we can make a better world for future generations,” said His Excellency Christophe Farnaud, Ambassador of France to South Africa, during his keynote address at the Tshwane University of Technology this week. He addressed graduates during one of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment’s recent graduation ceremonies.
One of the highlights of the event was the awarding of six D Tech’s in Electrical Engineering to successful candidates. Two of these, Michael Ajayi and Stevine Onyango, received co-tutelle Doctorates, that is a dual Doctorate awarded together with a French University, through the French South African Institute of Technology (F'SATI) partnership.
Dr Michael Ajayi is currently employed as a Post doctorate fellow at F’SATI under the SARChI chair at F’SATI. In his thesis entitled Modelling and Control of actuated lower limb exoskeletons, he has designed different control strategies for an exoskeleton. The purpose of his study is to provide rehabilitative and assistive measured for patients with lower limb disabilities. The focus of his control strategy is the use of bio-inspired technologies in conjunction with nonlinear feedback control. His results were adequately analysed with mathematical proof to demonstrate its validity.
Farnaud, in his address, highlighted the F'SATI partnership with the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment’s. The experienced diplomat spoke about the importance of forming strategic relationships and cultivating the potential for facing global challenges as a collective. The establishment of F’SATI (formerly known as F’SATIE, the French South African Institute in Electronics) at the former Technikon Pretoria, now Tshwane University of Technology, was history in the making. It was the first institute of its kind to be established on South African soil and followed an extended period of negotiations as well as the signing of a number of cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding. F’SATI currently operates within the framework of the Graduate School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at TUT.
“The world is changing rapidly because of globalisation. We are all affected by this change and it means we need to be ready to adapt to it. This translates into the need for more competencies and better technologies. We need to exploit this change and forge lasting partnerships because it is better to face problems with others than do face them alone,” said Farnaud.
During the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment’s five autumn graduation ceremonies, more than1200 qualifications were conferred on students. The University awarded M Tech degrees to 36 graduates and another 14 successful candidates obtained D Tech degrees.
For the first time ever, the number of qualifications to be awarded during TUT’s autumn graduation ceremonies exceed 10 000. At undergraduate level a total of 9 956 qualifications will be conferred. A total of 154 M Tech degrees and 38 D Tech degrees will also be awarded.
The Autumn graduations will run from 18 April to 23 May 2017.
For more information on the Tshwane University of Technology, please contact Willa de Ruyter on tel; 012 382 5352 or send an email to deruyterw@tut.ac.za.