The University of the Witwatersrand continues to produce a number of forward-thinking graduates from its School of Electrical and Information Engineering. Commonly known as Wits EIE, the school has an extensive research department that acts as an incubator for advancements in technological development.
Mikail Ansari, recently appointed as an electrical engineer in the Young Professionals Development Programme at Transnet Engineering’s research and development division, believes that the school is the perfect environment for identifying and nurturing the seeds of new technology produced by a concentration of creative thinkers.
According to Ansari, robotics, as a function of automation and control, is an example of a technology set to evolve. “Eventually, the repeatability and precision of robotic systems will allow for the creation of faster and more intelligent devices. While the belief exists that the adoption of robotics results in job losses, this has proved erroneous.
“On the one hand, low-cost outsourcing is already poaching jobs away from the country. This means that robotics might actually help to bring manufacturing back to local areas, which in turn brings with it entire support industries. So instead of jobs being created to do basic work, an entire service industry might be created to service, maintain and operate robots.
“On the other, one needs to be prepared to adapt rapidly to changing demographics and to accept that machines are increasingly undertaking low-skill jobs. This results in a more skilled workforce being needed to operate this machinery, which in turn requires a different educational mindset.”
For these developments to take place, a multi-disciplinary education system must evolve to prepare people with an understanding of multiple engineering disciplines, such as electrical engineering, information engineering, mechanical engineering and civil engineering. Simultaneously, multi-disciplinary teams, as opposed to strictly divided divisions, must develop.
“I think the first step towards achieving this would be inter-departmental awareness between faculties, as well as how departments can collaborate on similar research projects to gain a diversity of skills. Previously seeking out of skills happened at an individual level. The big drive in the future will be to expand this philosophy and adopt it, with integration taking place between the Wits EIE and the University’s other schools of engineering. This will allow for discussion and the development of opportunities that could lead to new technologies,” concludes Ansari.
For more information contact Heather Regenass, University of the Witwatersrand, +27 (0)11 717 7012, [email protected], www.eie.wits.ac.za
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