TUT attains its 17th Research Chair

The Tshwane University of Technology has been awarded a new Research Chair under the prestigious South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI), which is founded and funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and administered by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

Prof Shengzhi Du is the University’s newest DSTI-NRF Chair. The new DSTI-NRF Chair – with the title “Next-Generation Telemanipulation and Teleoperation Platforms for Multiple Sectors: Education, Training and Production” – brings the number of Chairs under the SARChI at TUT to eight.

The University has the highest number of Research Chairs among universities of technology, with a total of 17 Research Chairs, some of which are funded by DSTI-NRF, industry and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA).

The official announcement was made by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Blade Nzimande, who unveiled a new cohort of Research Chairs aligned to the priority areas of the DSTI’s Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (2022-2032) and focused on broadening impact.

The DSTI-NRF Chair in Next-Generation Telemanipulation and Teleoperation Platforms for Multiple Sectors: Education, Training and Production – led by Prof Shengzhi Du – focuses on human-machine interfaces for challenging working environments across sectors such as mining, manufacturing and underwater. Prof Du said the aim of the Chair is to remotely operate machines in unsafe environments while human operators work in safe ground stations with controls like those on the real machine.

“The people in the ground station operate the controls, and the machine works accordingly,” he explained. “By minimising vocational injury, promoting education and workforce training, reducing costs, and boosting productivity, the Chair is performing as a bridge for academia, industry and the government to address the societal needs and challenges of the country.”

As an NRF-rated researcher, Prof Du is a Full Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. He considers himself an innovator, engineer, and researcher in practical systems and theoretical algorithms, strongly believing that theoretical insights are realised when they generate value in practical applications.

With the support of the Chair, he hopes TUT will contribute more to the nation’s innovation in the latest technologies, safe and high-quality vocational training methods, and prosperous postgraduate education.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Engagement, Dr Vathiswa Papu-Zamxaka, said the Chair is affirming TUT’s commitment to impactful research that solves South Africa’s challenges.

“The addition of the 17^th Research Chair at the University will assist immensely in driving our research agenda. This outstanding achievement underscores TUT’s growing research excellence and its strong commitment to advancing innovation and knowledge creation in South Africa,” said Dr Papu-Zamxaka.

“We are looking forward to seeing these efforts translating into high research output units, registration of patents and graduation rate improvement”, she added.