{"id":35511,"date":"2026-04-22T11:03:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T11:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=35511"},"modified":"2026-04-22T12:33:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T12:33:50","slug":"vut-fet-staff-lead-by-example-as-part-of-the-60th-generation-with-six-phd-graduates-in-the-2026-autumn-graduation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/vut-fet-staff-lead-by-example-as-part-of-the-60th-generation-with-six-phd-graduates-in-the-2026-autumn-graduation\/","title":{"rendered":"VUT FET staff lead by example as part of the 60th generation with six PhD graduates in the 2026 autumn graduation"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Six staff members from the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Faculty of Engineering (FET) and Technology earn PhDs at the 2026 Autumn Graduation, advancing teaching excellence, research innovation, and the University\u2019s 60th generation legacy.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

20 April 2026 | Story by: Thomas Rasehloka | Picture: Sifiso Nomzaza<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"VUT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A moment of pride unfolded at the Desmond Tutu Great Hall as the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET) at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) celebrated not only academic excellence, but a defining chapter in its institutional journey. As part of the University\u2019s 60th generation of graduates, six staff members stepped forward to receive their PhDs, embodying a legacy that stretches across decades of teaching, learning, and transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their achievement formed part of the 2026 Autumn Graduation ceremonies held on 15 and 16 April, where 810 FET students graduated. Among these were 8 doctoral and 6 master\u2019s graduates, with staff members accounting for the majority of PhDs conferred. In the language of the University\u2019s Road to 60 narrative, this was more than a milestone, it was a signal of continuity, of knowledge carried forward and deepened within the very institution that shaped it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dean of FET, Professor Khaled Abou-El-Hossein, reflected on the significance of this moment, noting that when educators themselves ascend academically, they reshape the learning environment. Their presence in lecture halls becomes more than instructional, it becomes aspirational. Students do not simply receive knowledge; they witness what is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the 60th generation narrative, these staff graduates stand as both torchbearers and architects of the future. Their academic journeys reaffirm a simple truth: a university does not merely produce graduates, it must continuously renew itself through its people. Through structured support, research opportunities, and a culture that values growth, the Faculty has invested deliberately in its academic core, ensuring that excellence is not episodic, but sustained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Nkele Baloyi, Chairperson of Teaching and Learning in FET and one of the PhD graduates, emphasised that academic development among staff directly enhances the student experience. Knowledge gained through research does not remain confined to theses and journals; it returns to the classroom, reshaping curricula, strengthening engagement, and deepening critical thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This cycle of growth defines the spirit of the 60th generation. It is a generation not only counted in years, but measured in impact. As staff members evolve into scholars of the highest order, they carry with them the responsibility to mentor, to guide, and to elevate those who follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Faculty\u2019s performance further underscores this trajectory. FET ranked first among all VUT faculties in producing PhD graduates during the 2026 Autumn Graduations, with the Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering leading within the Faculty itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Kentse Motsetse, Head of the Department, attributed this success to a culture that blends discipline with opportunity, where emerging academics are given space to grow alongside seasoned scholars. It is within such environments that innovation takes root and collaboration flourishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, Dr Baloyi also became the first candidate to graduate under the Doctor of Engineering in Metallurgical Engineering programme since its introduction in 2021, marking a historic achievement that aligns seamlessly with the University\u2019s broader narrative of progress and renewal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As VUT advances along its Road to 60, moments such as these carry a quiet but powerful message. The strength of the institution lies not only in the number of graduates it produces, but in the calibre of those who remain, who teach, who research, and who lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the faces of these six PhD graduates, the 60th generation finds its reflection, a generation rooted in knowledge, driven by purpose, and committed to shaping a future where education remains both a foundation and a force for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Six staff members from the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Faculty of Engineering (FET) and Technology earn PhDs at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":35571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-vaal-university-of-technology","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35511"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35572,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35511\/revisions\/35572"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}