National Research Foundation Annual Report 2008 / 2009 [Part 2]

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16 NRFimpact report 2008/09The satellite’s engineering model will be unveiled at the International Astronomical Federation 2011event in Cape Town.According to Dr Van Zyl, the tiny CubeSat is the start of much bigger things. “Our project gives studentsthe exposure and discipline they will require to eventually work on bigger and more advanced satellitesunder the SANSA. The CubeSat project will provide a very visible and tangible vehicle to raise the interestand awareness of our learners and students in space engineering. This is very important to grow thenumbers of students in the science, engineering and technology fields.”There are currently 12 students enrolled in the postgraduate programme; 12 more will be added eachyear. Dr Van Zyl expects the numbers to stabilise at 26 Master’s degree students and 10 PhDs.In support of the DST’s 10-year plan, the SSE programme plans to achieve the following outcomes by2018:l Independent earth observation high-resolution satellite data available for all of Africa from aconstellation of satellites designed and manufactured in Africa; andl SET students comprising 35% of students at higher education institutions (up from 28% in 2005).l More than 3 000 SET PhD students per year (up from 561 in 2005). Achieving this goal would implymore than 500 doctoral and more than 1 000 Master’s supervisors.In support of the Grand Challenges, the NRF’s biggest contribution to F’SATIE is for the SSEprogramme at CPUT.Research at TUTAt TUT, F’SATIE research focuses on seven areas:l Enabled environment and assistance to handicapped persons;l Telecommunication with special emphasis on wireless networks;The research to assist handicapped persons covers a variety of topics:l Design and control of equipment such as wheelchairs, exoskeletons, and other equipment that enablepeople to perceive and control their environment;l Modelling people’s behaviour in driving situations in order to adapt equipment to their needs;l Modelling of domestic and industrial environments using virtual reality techniques to qualify and adaptthe environment to the users’ needs;l Designing indoor and outdoor spaces to improve accessibility; andl Detecting and understanding the intention of people through multiple inputs, including visual and BrainComputer Interfaces (BCI).Telecommunication and the sharing of data is the lifeblood of a knowledge economy. F’SATIE researchin this area improves the design and control of wireless ad‐hoc networks and optimises the powerconsumption in wireless sensor networks. Researchers also work on quality of supply issues and ways toextend coverage in rural areas.The programme in a nutshellIn terms of the F’SATIE agreement, postgraduate students can achieve dual MTech/Msc and DTech/PhDqualifications. At the Master’s level the students may obtain an MTech from either TUT or the CPUT andan MSc from the Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieurs en Electronique et Electrotechnique (ESIEE) in France.At the doctorate level students may obtain a DTech and a doctorate from one of two French universities inthe Parisian region.
17Students from both countries are also involved in exchange programmes. Five CPUT students are dueto travel to France in October 2009 to complete their second year of Master’s studies in Paris. CPUTcurrently hosts six French students to complete research projects.F’SATIE wants to establish and develop a dedicated base for research, in part by encouraging fulltimestudents to remain on campus instead of returning to industry. In this way, a number of strategicobjectives are being met:l Academic excellence;l An increasing number of local postgraduates; andl Increased research output.An important feature of the programme is the linkages it establishes between academia, governmentand industry, both locally and internationally. Some of the organisations and institutions involved includeNRF facilities, notably HMO, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the EuropeanUnion Space Agency (EUSA), the ESIEE graduate school in Paris and the Paris Chamber of Commerceand Industry.F’SATIE aims to enhance the network between South African industry and universities and extend it toinclude relationships with higher education institutions and companies in France and the rest of Europe.To this end, much of the research conducted under the F’SATIE banner is geared towards addressingindustry-related problems.F’SATIE deliversResearch output for 2008:4 15 international journal papers4 46 international conference papers4 2 technical reportsIndustrial research output for 2008:4 3 THRIP projects4 Student registrations in 2008:60 Master’s15 PhDsOn 28 February 2008, the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy,and South Africa’s then-Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, attended the official inauguration of F’SATIE at CPUT.2008 graduates:4 3 PhDs4 20 Master’sF’SATIE is the most successful French venture of its kind in anon-French speaking African country.Students discuss system design aspects of the CubeSat withProfessor Robert van Zyl. The students are (from left):Jean Bester, Marys Madiba-Iyambo and Matthew Sibanda(all first-year Master’s students).
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National Research Foundation Annual Report 2008 / 2009 [Part 2]

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