- Wits has become the only university in southern African to partner with Afretec for the advancement of digital transformation on the continent.
- Senior deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Ruksana Osman, says the network is aimed at advancing skills across different sectors, including engineering and science.
- The network will be accessible to all students across all five faculties at the institution.
Wits university has become the only southern African partner to collaborate with the African Engineering and Technology Network (Afretec) to advance digital transformation on the continent.
Afretec is a collaborative body of nine other technology-focused university partners in Africa.
The programme will advance skills in, among others, machine learning, education, entrepreneurship, science, and technology.
Senior deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Ruksana Osman, said Carnegie Mellon University Africa had selected Wits for the five-year programme due to its commitment to teaching and learning.
According to Osman, the network will be spread across all faculties.
"All five faculties will be working closely with the network because the work we will be doing is interdisciplinary, and we believe the future of knowledge production is transdisciplinary. It covers many areas," she added.
Osman said inclusivity was essential for digital transformation.
"We want students in the arts and humanities to understand big data and technology. At the same time, the students who are doing machine learning and engineering, we want them to understand the ethics of knowledge and the ethics of protecting data," she said.
Osman added that the Wits network would focus on online teaching and learning, research, and entrepreneurship development.
She said:
According to Osman, the blended learning plan was finalised before March 2020 but the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated it.
"This doesn't mean we are no longer a contact university. Not at all, we are a full-contact university, but we are leveraging the potential of online learning. We will leverage these opportunities and allow our students and staff to meet in person," Osman said.
She added that Wits had partnered with the University of Venda and Sol Plaatje University to share knowledge.
"It's about sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources in the network. There will be that snowballing effect over this period."