South Africa will be part and parcel of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) as the upcoming 6th SA-UNESCO Engineering, Science and Technology Conference (SA-UNESCO-EC) will demonstrate.
The theme of the conference is “Decolonising the 4IR in support of the sustainable development goals”, and it will take place at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Mahikeng on 26 and 27 September 2019.
According to Prof Liezl van Dyk, executive dean of the Faculty of Engineering which is hosting the event, South Africans must prepare themselves for an ever-changing world.
This is why two days are being set aside prior to the start of the conference to teach coding and other technological skills to Grade 11 learners from Mahikeng.
“If we don’t get the learners enthused and have young prospective engineers coming in, we won’t have engineers going out. There are huge opportunities if you are able and interested in going into this field,” she says.
Sipho Madonsela, chief executive officer of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), says the SA-UNESCO-EC aims to advance and promote engineering in an inclusive manner, and the hosting of the conference at the NWU this year demonstrates this.
He says the ECSA is encouraging its registered members to attend the conference and enrich themselves with knowledge on emerging trends in the industry.
“There is a diverse panel of speakers that will share content worth looking forward to, and the ECSA will be allocating continuing professional development (CPD) points for the conference.”
Some of the conference highlights include discussions on youth in engineering, earth preconditions and sustainable engineering, the national development goals as well as a BRICS Network Universities interactive workshop.
Delegates and students attending the conference can also look forward to seeing the award-winning NWU solar car and enjoying a late-night visit to the NWU Astronomical Observatory on the campus in Mahikeng.
Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, is expected to officially open the conference at the NWU Student Centre on 26 September.
Click here for more information on the conference
