Members of the IEEE student branch at UCT have successfully installed a 300-litre solar geyser at the Emasithandane Children’s home out in Nyanga. Last year postgraduate Commerce students at UCT raised R55 000 to go towards building an extension to the home. On completion of the extension in mid-December, an array of 3-kilowatt solar panels will be installed on the new roof, which, together with the solar geyser, will save the home around R1 500 monthly on its electricity bill.

On Wednesday 23 November, it was announced that the international Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award has selected Cape Town to be its 2012 recipient. The Alfred Herrhausen Society, the international forum of the Deutsche Bank, has partnered with the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town and LSE Cities at the London School of Economics to bring the Urban Age Award to Cape Town.

Associate Professor Kobus Van Zyl from the Department of Civil Engineering has recently published a book titled ‘Introduction to Integrated Water Meter Management.’

Mr Bhagwan, Director: Water use and Waste Management says in the foreword of the book: “This book covers all aspects of water meters and water metering in municipalities. It covers the theoretical principles of meters, legal and metrological requirements, meter types, best practice guidelines as well as practical aspects of water meter management (amongst others).

Two UCT engineering students can finish the year in style. Literally. Phathutshedzo Mamathoni won a makeover with sponsor Dress Sense, and Vere Shaba won Cavendish shopping vouchers for their entries in the Managing HIV in the EBE Industry competition, run by the HIV/AIDS Institutional Co-ordination Unit (HAICU) this semester. Read more...

There is a growing interest in African property, which is largely being driven by the economic growth exceeding 7% in some of the African countries, said Associate Professor Francois Viruly, who has recently been appointed as President of the African Real Estate Society.

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On 10 November, over 60 science teachers from across the Western Cape attended the annual teachers’ afternoon in the Department of Chemical Engineering at UCT. The workshop offered an opportunity for teachers to interact with other teachers, academics and industry partners, around relevant subject matter. It also provided useful ideas and much needed resources for the teaching of physical science in the classrooms.

Harshad Bhikha and Siergio Cieverts, two chemical engineering graduates, have been instrumental in setting up the Young Engineers Scholarship. They both work for Sasol in Secunda and have held discussions with colleagues on how they would like to assist a student who, despite the odds, was able to excel at school, and who, without an entrance scholarship, may not be able to pursue their dream of studying engineering at UCT.

Hartmut Jagau, a Master's student in Electrical Engineering received the 2011 Student Poster Presentation award at the 2011 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress & Exposition which was held in Phoenix, Arizona from the 17-22 Sept 2011. This is a prestigious electrical engineering conference, with over 1100 people attending and 600 papers presented.

Five Master of Landscape Architecture students entered an international student competition for the redesign of a portion of the Nairobi River running through the centre of Nairobi. The students proposed creative solutions to the challenges facing cities and the design and planning of rivers that flow through them. Three of the students were placed in the top four, including wining the first prize of $1000.