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For daily news visit: www.news.uct.ac.za/dailynews New UCT page-turners – Page 5 Monday Paper Newspaper of the University of Cape Town April 28 – May 11, 2008 Volume 27#06 Centre tackles urban transport problems UCT’s new Centre of Excellence will give wheels to research on urban transport in Africa, harnessing knowledge from three leading African universities Given this scenario, the launch of will harness research from three leading Engineering & the Built Environment, It is the Volvo Foundations’ seventh HELEN THÉRON the new Volvo Research & Educational African universities to find public and the University of Dar es Salaam’s such centre, extending the international Foundations Centre of Excellence for non-motorised transport solutions for Department of Transportation and network of multidisciplinary and inter- ive years ago Associate Profes- Future Urban Transport is timely. the continent’s big cities. It will also Geotechnical Engineering and the disciplinary collaboration in this area. sor Roger Behrens (Centre for Launched at UCT less than a act as a hub of research and capacity University of Nairobi’s Institute for “It’s a hugely important programme TransportF Studies) would leave home fortnight ago, the African Future Urban building. Development Studies. and a great opportunity to address in Meadowridge at 06h45 for UCT Transport CoE for Studies in Public Its work will fall on UCT’s Centre Cape Town, Dar es Salaam and unique problems in Africa,” said Måns to avoid traffic. Each year since his and Non-motorised Transport (ACET) of Transport Studies in the Faculty of Nairobi, all cities with around three Lönnroth, a member of the Volvo travel time by car has increased by five million people, will be used as case Research & Educational Foundations minutes. studies. They have common problems Board. Behrens’ case may be anecdotal, associated with the regulation and im- Speaking at the launch, Deputy but it mirrors a pervasive problem: provement of informal or unscheduled Vice-Chancellor Professor Thanda- rapid growth in traffic congestion, the paratransit modes of public transport: bantu Nhlapo said: “UCT strives to be result of an increase in vehicles that has minibus taxis in South Africa: the dala a research-led university with a global outstripped investment in road infra- dalas in Tanzania and matatus in Kenya. footprint, and to be nationally relevant. structure, a problem not dissimilar to the “We identified international partners So it’s wonderful to see this collabora- power debacle. we’d like to pull into our centre, Profes- tion with other African universities. This “The peak period is no longer con- sor Elliot Sclar of Columbia University, is precisely what we aspire to.” fined to one or two hours. It’s spreading Dr Meleckidzedeck Khayesi of the There’s no doubt that Cape Town, incrementally,” Behrens says. World Health Organisation, Professor with its 2010 focus and greater funding “But it’s not a problem we can build Dinesh Mohan and Associate Professor for public transport, will attach particu- our way out of. We can’t just expand the Geetam Tiwari of IIT Delhi, and Associ- lar value to the centre’s work. road space continually. And designing ate Professor Eduardo Vasconcellos of Will we see safe, reliable alter- cities’ transport systems around cars is the Brazilian Public Transport Associa- natives in urban transport that will not an option.” tion,” Behrens said. persuade motorists to give up their car There are other pressing factors: “If you look at journal output keys? rising greenhouse gas emissions and an Centre of Excellence: Dean of Engineering & the Built Environment, Prof alone, there’s been relatively little from Behrens likes to think so. expected peak in global oil production, Francis Petersen, DVC Prof Thandabantu Nhlapo, Måns Lönnroth (Volvo African countries in the past 10 years. “We’re entering a time that we see forcing further escalations in petrol and Research & Educational Foundations Steering Board), Assoc Prof Roger But this provides great opportunities for as hugely significant. Otherwise, there is diesel prices. Behrens (Centre of Transport Studies), and Acting DVC Prof Danie Visser. future publication.” a crisis looming.” UCT mourns loss of Associate Professor Kevin Rochford he UCT community is in shock with distinction, and a PhD, all from Rochford also made his mark in following the death of Associ- the University of Cape Town. many other leading activities, includ- ateT Professor Kevin Rochford and As a student and young teacher in ing sport at UCT, and particularly in horrified at the way in which his death Victoria, he commenced his career by running. He had the longest unbroken occurred. building a small amateur astronomical membership of any UCT sports club Rochford was shot on Tuesday observatory with six telescopes in the in our history and initiated non-racial night, 22 April, in what appears to be early 1960s. long-distance running events in 1974. an attempted hijacking in front of his He contributed significantly to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal Pro- home in Little Mowbray. academic enterprise over more than 30 fessor Njabulo S Ndebele expressed his He was an associate professor of years. During the past 17 years, he and sorrow and condolences to the family. science education in the humanities his students contributed more than 30 “We will remain in touch with faculty. articles to the Global Journal of Engi- Professor Rochford’s family and our Rochford graduated with a BSc neering Education and its forerunners, heartfelt sympathies are expressed to from Melbourne University, then and associated international conference all his family members, colleagues, gained a BEd with distinction, an MEd proceedings. friends and students.” Monday Paper NEWS April 28 – May 11, 2008 Volume 27#06 UCT adds nuclear arrow to its engineering quiver CT has become the first tertiary trating on nuclear power engineering Gaunt notes. effective management and operation institution in South Africa to of- were introduced in February this year The courses address the aspects of a nuclear plant facility from an en- ferU undergraduate courses in nuclear at the request of Eskom. of nuclear physics, materials in nucle- gineering perspective,” states Gaunt. power as part of its mechanical and “UCT was approached in this ar engineering, non-destructive test- The courses do not address the as- electrical engineering programmes. regard because of its recognised ing, thermodynamics, reactor types, pect of reactor design, however. Both The two elective courses concen- excellence and also because of the radiation, dosimetry, nuclear fuel and Gaunt and Tait believe that this is close proximity of the campus to waste management, instrumentation an exceptional niche area and South the Koeberg power station, and that and power equipment, which are key Africa is not in a position to compete many graduates from the faculty have elements in the operation and main- with highly specialised companies already joined Koeberg,” explains tenance of any nuclear power facility. such as Areva and Westinghouse. Professor Bob Tait, head of the De- In addition, consideration is given to According to Tait, the content of partment of Mechanical Engineering. regulatory, safety and environmental the courses will not be limited to a The introduction of the courses Head of the Department of issues. At present nuclear expertise is single specific nuclear technology. has been well received by the UCT Electrical Engineering, Professor being bought in, as appropriate, both The technology for the next nuclear student body, with 31 fourth-year stu- Trevor Gaunt, elaborates that the two locally and from overseas, while ap- power stations to be built in South dents registering for the two electives. elective courses are an introduction pointments are being processed. The Africa is almost certainly of the pres- In fact, based on this support, it is to the fundamental concepts behind support of EBE faculty colleagues surised water reactor (PWR) type, anticipated that more courses focus- nuclear power engineering. It will and some physics department staff is although the South African nuclear ing on nuclear engineering will be give students sufficient foundation also gratefully acknowledged. fraternity is also developing the he- added to the syllabus in the future. knowledge to be employed in any “Essentially, the two elective lium gas-cooled pebble bed modular Article courtesy of Engineering nuclear-related sector in the world, courses will teach students about the reactor (PBMR). News (www.engineeringnews.co.za) Partnership with UCT students strive for change University of life in the communities. The exhibition was prompted by the poor understanding many people Houston a success have of occupational therapy, and by the fact that some people turn a blind eye to the hardships experienced by CT’s Science Faculty recently ics. The first course was presented the poor. celebrated the success - and at UCT in March 2007, and is due to Meghan Dawson, one of the stu- endU - of a masters’ course in petrole- finish in May 2008. Academics from dents behind the show, said: “We want um geophysics, offered in partner- the University of Houston presented to advocate for occupational therapy ship with the University of Houston. all but one of the 13 modules. and raise awareness about the reality The course was launched after a All 16 students that have - and hope - of life in poor areas.” 2004 survey conducted by the South graduated from the course are UCT The exhibition includes a DVD of African Petroleum Industry Asso- students. Three are now working Advocacy: Meghan Dawson at the occupational therapy exhibition in a group of young girls from Lavender ciation identified a shortage of skills for PetroSA, one for the Petroleum Canal Walk. Hill who invented a board game about in the petroleum industry in South Agency of South Africa, and one for energy conservation.

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