Senior Academic Development Officer in the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, Mr Rogerant Tshibangu was awarded an MSc in Electronic Engineering for his study on, Evaluation Criteria for Handover in Radio Over Fiber Systems.

‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us and fiber optics is becoming a major part of telecommunication,’ said Tshibangu. His study investigated users’ experiences in a building that is covered by fiber optics. This includes the experience of moving from one base station to another given that there are multiple antennas in a Radio over fiber Network.

Tshibangu holds a National Senior Certificate in Electrical Technology from the Technical Institute Salama (Don Bosco) in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a BSc in Electronic Engineering from UKZN.

The study’s findings will promote a more efficient distribution bandwidth within a Radio over fiber Network while maximising coverage and preventing waste in dormant areas. ‘The arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution was a major reason for choosing this area of study,’ he said.

‘Doing my MSc was a very challenging experience with plenty of obstacles, but my resilience and strong-headed personality saw me through,’ said Tshibangu. ‘We are solely responsible for our future, no one can stop you from achieving your goals if you have the determination and heart for it.’

Acting Academic Services Manager in the College, Mrs Denise O’Reilly said: ‘When Rogerant transitioned into masters and then became a member of staff as an Academic Development Officer, this did not stop him from being involved in activities in the School of Engineering, He was also a permanent feature in the Engineering Winter School programme and I am certain that many students chose to come to UKZN because of him.  He completed his masters, while having a full time job, but he did not give up.   We are proud of his many achievements and I am sure that there are more to come.’

Tshibangu acknowledged the unwavering support and understanding of his wife and two sons, who understood when family time was sacrificed in favour of his studies.

In addition to his duties as a Senior Academic Development Officer, Tshibangu teaches a module in the Augmented Engineering stream and hopes to become a lecturer in the near future.

Words: Christian Ishimwe

Photograph: Abhi Indrarajan