Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg (UJ), is currently in Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) on a Fourth Industrial Revolution/ Industry 4.0 engagement with the government and the University of Eswatini.
The visit is part of a process in which the University of Johannesburg is aiming to engage the rest of the African continent about the implications of Industry 4.0 and explore potential collaborations with governments, industry and academia.
This week, Thursday, 21 February 2019, Prof Marwala together with Dr Nolitha Vukuza (Senior Executive Director , UJ) met with the Prime Minister of Eswatini, Mr Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, and the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mancoba Khumalo. In their interactions, they also engaged the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Eswatini, Professor Justice Thwala.
UJ is one of the forerunners of Industry 4.0 conversations and education in South Africa, with its Vice-Chancellor Prof Marwala, himself an expert on artificial and computational intelligence, giving talks nationally, continent-wide and globally. According to Prof Marwala, preparing for this latest revolution has required a review of the curriculum at UJ to ensure that the university focuses on core skills required by students to succeed in the jobs of the future. Some of these skills involve problem-solving, the ability to interact, critical thinking and creativity. It is a revolution that is changing societies, politics and the economies of the world.
