UJ is readying Industry for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution in South Africa. Through our collaboration with companies and industry bodies, we support the knowledge transfer of Fourth Industrial elements to a wide range of sectors.
by industry 4.0. A key success factor during this global shift is the importance of skills and the agility to change. The World Economic Forums’ (WEF) report on The Future of jobs concerning the Fourth Industrial Revolution (2016) , asserts that employees’ skills need constant changing. According to the WEF, “across nearly all industries, the impact of technological and other changes is shortening the shelf-life of employees’ existing skills sets”. “At UJ we want to turn the curriculum around so that students acquire these skills of the future, we must create knowledge and plan ahead for industries that are going to exist but are not yet here.”, says Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal, and the deputy chair of the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Thinking about the changes organisations will need to embrace to compete and grow in this everchanging environment, will require its leaders to completely understanding that the potential of 4IR and will require a more innovative, integrated approach to talent development. UJ is currently at the forefront of technology innovation and the Fourth
We are currently living through the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The advances in artificial intelligence (Al), robotics and automation, nanotechnology, and material sciences are catalysing the revolution and profoundly changing the face of society,
Industry Innovation and Research Chairs
economics and industries. Increased digitisation and
globalisation are shifting business into greater interdependence and interconnection. The advanced technologies of Industry 4.0 can capture and analyse incredible amounts of data that we use to predict trends and disrupt market. The Fourth Industrial Revolution brings about many exciting challenges and opportunities, but at the same time, it brings about the fear and uncertainty for tomorrow. In pursuit of advanced technologies and the opportunities they bring, it is easy for leaders to lose sight of another critical aspect of the organisation, its people. Industry 4.0 is a much about people as technology. All sectors are changing at an alarming speed due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The education sector, finance, mining, manufacturing, automobile, health and practically every industry you can think of, will be influenced
As a driver of industry-related projects, UJ ensures close alignment to the world-of-work and bring about innovation through applied research. UJ can complement and support businesses through an applied 4IR innovation and research chair, that carry the company name, customised to speak to the organisation’s challenges and strategy. We have a host of partnerships with industry, government, national and international organisations. We structure our collaborations with the needs and requirements of our partners in mind, to ensure mutual benefit. A steering committee, consisting of both the business and UJ representatives would govern the Chair and ensure that the research is applicable to your business. Research Chairs usually run for a minimum of three and a maximum of five years.
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ALUMNI IMPUMELELO
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