Symplectic is very happy to announce that Durban University of Technology, South Africa, have selected Symplectic Elements as their research information management system.
This forward-thinking university now becomes Symplectic’s first institutional client in Africa. Durban is a great place to begin – the largest city in the KwaZulu-Natal province, a major centre of trade, tourism, finance and manufacturing, with rich cultural diversity and beautiful golden beaches.
Durban University of Technology (DUT) is an ambitious modern research institution, established in 2002 through the merger of two much older institutions, the ML Sultan Technikon , and Natal Technikon, now operating on seven campuses throughout Durban and Pietermaritzburg. A pioneer in Open Access leadership, DUT’s research mostly comprises of science, engineering and technology, with specialised institutes for Water & Wastewater Technology and Systems Science.
Top 5 cited DUT research areas, 2010‐2015*
| Name | Rank | Web of Science Documents | Category normalised Citation impact | Times Cited | Docs Cited |
| Energy & Fuels | 1 | 32 | 3.02 | 692 | 66.63 % |
| Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | 2 | 49 | 1.38 | 606 | 73.47 % |
| Engineering, Chemical | 3 | 36 | 1.83 | 506 | 61.11 % |
| Chemistry, Physical | 4 | 35 | 1.07 | 299 | 80 % |
| Agricultural Engineering | 5 | 12 | 2.02 | 242 | 91.67 % |
*Data provided by DUT citing Web of Science
DUT will be making use of a cloud-hosted Elements installation to manage researchers’ publications and create academic profiles, potentially making use of Elements’ Open Access functionality in future.
DUT’s pioneering use of research information management technology reflects their ethos of innovation; this also suggests the exciting potential for Symplectic to work with other institutions within South Africa and across the continent. We’re looking forward to working with the project team at DUT to start their Elements journey.