CPUT architectural technology alumna wins international student thesis award

CAPE TOWN - A CPUT Architectural Technology alumna is shining bright in Belgium where she has received a prize for her Master’s thesis.

Chioma Obasi was recently announced as the winner in the international student category of the Thesis Award 2021 from Hasselt University (UHasselt).

She said the prize is awarded to the best development-relevant Master’s thesis. Her thesis is titled: Activating Landscapes Through Memory: A Journey Through Fragments of Cape Town’s Strand Street Quarries.

Obasi said she had not expected to win.

“But afterward, I felt very happy and honoured because it was humbling to receive recognition for all the hard work I put into my research. My thesis lightly touches on a sensitive area in South African history, so I was really happy to share the topic internationally and for it to also be recognised and appreciated.”

Obasi first went to UHasselt as a CPUT exchange student and in 2020 she was awarded a Master Mind scholarship to study towards a one-year International Master in Interior Architecture (Adaptive Re-use) at UHasselt.

She said her time at CPUT had laid a firm foundation for her postgraduate studies.

“When I first started studying architecture, I don’t really think I fully understood what it meant or what it entailed. However, the lecturers at CPUT were amazing and quite patient with the students, taking their time and explaining theories and concepts to us. And I believe that this laid an excellent foundation for me. Unlike most traditional universities, CPUT focuses on both design and technology, which creates a good balance when designing in architecture,” she said.

“Although my Master’s was mostly design-based, I could make calculated and informed decisions with my background in technology. Also, the teaching method of working in groups and asking my fellow students for advice on my work created an atmosphere that prepared me to work cohesively with the people I met while abroad.”

She has now set her sights on enhancing her skills and preparing for a professional career.

“I might be looking at doing a doctorate to do some research that contributes to developmental and social architecture issues. However, I would also like to find a firm where I will learn and contribute especially towards developmental projects. I feel like many students come up with many ideas or have many ideas to offer, yet it only stays on paper, and we don’t always get the opportunity to execute them. But I would really like to see my ideas become reality.”

Obasi, who was born in Nigeria and moved to South Africa at the age of five, said life in Belgium over the past few years has been bitter-sweet.

“With the pandemic on the one hand and missing home on the other, it hasn’t been easy. I’ve had to learn to adjust to a new way of life, studying, living, among other challenges. However, I have learnt so much and grown a lot as a person, personally and professionally. I have had the opportunity to experience new cultures and meet diverse groups of people. The journey has been quite interesting.”

Cape Times