College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2024 65 Technopreneurship Centre (TPC) Mr Ronny Mabokela Head OVERVIEW The Technopreneurship Centre (TPC) at UJ continues to serve as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation. In 2024, TPC expanded its impact through inclusive innovation hackathons, public engagement, tech development, and strategic partnerships. TPC hosted and participated in 10 innovationfocused hackathons, securing four major wins, including a national victory at the Boxderless Hackathon, SheLeads Hackathon, NEMISA Datathon, and the Vulavula API Hackathon. Notably, team Hack_Are_Tech won the START Fellowship Pitching Challenge, securing an all-expenses-paid spot in the accelerator programme in Switzerland. \The Centre also celebrated a major cybersecurity win, with team Ethical Exploiters earning the Capture the Flag Red Team Champion title at the ITWeb Security Summit 2024 Hackathon. These achievements reflect TPC’s commitment to delivering real-world impact and equipping students to lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. UN SDGs: 4, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17 UJ 2030 Strategic Goals: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 TALENT MANAGEMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING In 2024, TPC successfully recruited 60 students from various UJ faculties through a competitive selection process. These students were mentored and guided by a diverse team comprising 10 TPC Ambassadors, student assistants, and the MICT SETA Special Project team, under the leadership of Centre Head Mr. Ronny Mabokela. Key developmental activities and achievements: 10 students attended the GitHub Constellation Conference 20 students participated in the International AI Forum on Innovation and Empowerment of Industrial Development - Hosted design thinking workshops to enhance problem-solving skills - TPC trained 40 high school learners from the Vhembe District (Limpopo) in collaboration with Geekulcha on Data and AI fundamentals at the Innovation Hub 7 TPC students were successfully employed by Cybersec Clinique in various tech and cybersecurity roles, demonstrating strong industry readiness and alignment with the demands of the cybersecurity sector, demonstrating strong industry readiness and alignment with the demands of the cybersecurity sector These programmes advanced student competencies in AI, innovation, coding, and entrepreneurship, promoting inclusivity and excellence in education. UN SDGs: 4 (Quality Education), 10 (Reduced Inequality) UJ Goals: 2 (Student Success), 5 (Pan-African Impact) POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES Postgraduate students within TPC played an active role in advancing applied innovation research. Under mentorship from TPC leadership and external experts, several postgraduates engaged in: Research on AI applications in sentiment analysis and misinformation detection Drafting academic publications on the impact of hackathons on digital skills development Workshops on intellectual property, patent registration, and commercialisation strategies
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