by Kgothatso Monono
An undisputed highlight of the year, the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FoICT)’s annual Research Day, provides a platform for students, researchers and faculty members to display their pioneering work in the dynamic and ever-evolving Information and Communication Technology (ICT) world.
Gomolemo Bokaba (Winner: Oral presentation).
Dr Agnieta Pretorius, Assistant Dean for Postgraduate Studies, Research and Innovation at the Faculty of ICT welcomed guests and highlighted the importance of the Faculty Research Day to celebrate the transformative research conducted by TUT’s postgraduate students. She commended the remarkable progress the University has made over the years, particularly in the field of ICT.
Reflecting on TUT’s global rankings, she said in 2023, the University was ranked among the top 600 institutions worldwide in Engineering and Computer Science according to The Times Higher Education Rankings and fifth nationally in the Young University Rankings. These rankings, along with TUT’s top 50% position in 90 research fields, reflect the University's unwavering commitment to practical, impactful research that addresses both industry and societal needs. TUT’s global standing was further reinforced by its positions in Edu Rank and Webometrics, placing the University among the top institutions worldwide.
Speaking about the “Denotation of Superintelligent Society” Prof O Olugbara, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics at Durban University of Technology, delved into the implications of artificial intelligence and its potential to redefine society. His speech set the tone for the day, exploring how emerging technologies could be harnessed to address complex global challenges, while considering the ethical implications of technological advancements.
Dr Agnieta Pretorius, Assistant Dean for Postgraduate Studies, Research and Innovation at the Faculty of ICT.
As the world continues to embrace digital transformation, the significance of ICT has reached new heights. From artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to cybersecurity, data science and the Internet of Things (IoT), technological advancements are revolutionising how we live, work and communicate. The Research Day highlighted how these technologies are reshaping industries as well as solving real-world problems, bring about meaningful impact in societies worldwide.
During the day, the latest ICT breakthroughs as well as challenges and ethical considerations that accompany them were explored. Discussions underlined the importance of research and development in ICT to drive progress, but also for addressing societal issues, from privacy concerns to the implications of AI.
The programme comprising diverse presentations and guest speakers, enriched the day. Attendees heard from researchers, academics and industry professionals who are pushing the boundaries of technological possibilities.
Topics included innovative research such as:
- A Mining Cybersecurity Decision Support Model (MCSDSM), aimed at enhancing decision-making in cybersecurity.
- A Blockchain-Based SRC Electronic Voting System, designed to function effectively even in areas with low bandwidth.
- The Application of Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for predicting the Quality of Service (QoS) in Free Space Optical (FSO) links in South Africa.
- A Comparative Study on Convolutional Neural Network-Based Animal Classification, focusing on custom architecture VGG16 and AlexNet
- Automatic selection of security controls for cloud services using N-gram and C4.5 algorithm
- An efficient second-hand vehicle price prediction based on light LightGBM Machine Learning Algorithm: South African case study and more.
The participants displayed their insights and solutions through two formats: oral and poster presentations. Each presentation highlighted the potential of technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and IoT in transforming industries and improving lives.
The winners of the Oral Presentations were:
- Gomolemo Bokaba
- Zenzele Msiza
- Samuel Adebusola
On the Poster Presentation front, individuals who received acknowledgement for outstanding work were:
- Nhlalala Makondo
- Dimakatso Melebana
- Sibusiso Mzulwini
To catch up on the Faculty of ICT’s Research Day click here: https://www.facebook.com/TUTCommunications/videos/3922878054648294/?app=fbl
Attendees of the Research Day.
Nhlalala Mokondo (Winner: Poster presentation).