Engineering 'giant' honoured

UCT bestowed a Doctor of Science in Engineering, honoris causa, on alumnus and 'giant of engineering science' Professor Klaus-Jürgen Bathe, at a special ceremony in the Leslie Social Sciences Building on Sunday 1 September.

German-born Bathe is hailed as a pioneer in the field of finite element analysis, a technique to find approximate solutions to partial differential equations. Bathe graduated from UCT's Department of Civil Engineering as the best engineering student and Gold Medallist in 1967. He returned to UCT years later to complete a Doctor of Science degree, after further studies in Canada and the US.

Golden Keys for top UCT students

Some 450 of UCT's top students were inducted into the university's chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society late in August.

Founded in 1977 and described as the world's largest honour society, the organisation recognises the top 15% of achievers across the academic disciplines at over 400 universities in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Bahamas, and the US.

The guest speakers, Western Cape premier Helen Zille and alumna and Pick n Pay transformation director Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, were inducted as honorary members during the ceremony.

Kaplan appointed to TIA board

The School of Economics' Professor David Kaplan has been appointed to the board of the national Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and will help set the agency's strategic direction. The TIA was established by an Act of Parliament in 2008, with the objective of intensifying innovation in order to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. The agency is poised to play a critical role in universities' research and commercialisation endeavours, according to Kaplan.

Special NRF award for Ramutsindela

Associate Professor Maano Ramutsindela from the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science has won a National Research Foundation (NRF) Special Category Award for Transformation of the Science Cohort.

It was one of three special awards announced by the NRF on 27 August, and recognises "superlative work" by senior researchers in a broad range of fields.

Ramutsindela's category is focused on transforming the science cohort by attracting more black scientists to academia and helping them become leaders in their fields.