by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – SCHNEIDER Electric and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) have extended their partnership with the unveiling of a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Experience Room at the latter.
It is the latest in a number of projects by Schneider Electric and UJ since the establishment of their partnership in 2016.
Focused on engineering faculty students, the room is a practical demonstration of the inner workings 4IR, its interconnectivity and relevance in sectors such as energy.
The experience room offers real-time demonstrations of 4IR technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), VR (Virtual Reality), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 3D printers.
Speaking at the unveiling, Prof. Letlhokwa Mpedi, UJ Vice Chancellor and Principal said, “The future is not something we enter.”
“4IR entails increased interconnectivity and we must not leave others behind,” Mpedi said.
“We are seeing it in our factories, homes and classrooms. It is myopic to perceive 4IR as shift in technological innovation, it is an intelligence revolution.”
Zanélle Dalglish, Global Leader: Training & Education Affairs at Schneider Electric, echoed the professor’s sentiments.
She added that Schneider main goal is to bridge the gap between industry and academia.
“Once students exit prestigious universities such as UJ and enter the workplace, they are ready to take up the challenge and are practically trained in the technologies they find in industry,” Dalglish added.
UJ forms part of the French Southern African Schneider Electric Education Centre (F’SASEC) network.
The network is expanding to include partnerships with Don Bosco in Malawi and Mozambique.
– CAJ News