Inside the world-renowned engineering faculty in South Africa

Nestled within the University of Pretoria (UP) lies a powerhouse in technological advancement and societal impact: the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT).

EBIT comprises four respected schools: the Schools of Engineering, Built Environment, Information Technology, and the Graduate School of Technology Management.

It sports 29 undergraduate and 140 postgraduate degree programs across 14 specialised departments, firmly establishing itself as one of Africa and the world’s leading faculties.

According to the International Science Index, Web of Science, UP’s EBIT faculty consistently boasts high international rankings and falls in the top 1% internationally regarding research output.

It was recently ranked among the top 334 in the world for engineering and technology out of over 10,000 schools and features in the top 650 in six different engineering and technology subject areas.

Furthermore, it is the leading institution in the country for various disciplines, including electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, and metallurgical engineering.

MyBroadband sat down with EBIT Dean Professor Wynand Steyn to discuss what he believes sets the University of Pretoria’s EBIT apart.

“I could go on for days about this. How much time do you have?” chuckled Steyn.

“If you look at our engineering schools’ faculties in South Africa, all of us are top class in the world. That’s a point that people need to understand. South African engineering faculties are within the top 1.5% internationally,” he said.

When speaking about what seperates UP, he emphasises the unique integration of four schools within one faculty as a primary differentiator.

“It’s a large faculty. That means that there’s much closer integration between, for instance, engineering and IT. It makes it much easier to create nuanced work,” said Steyn.

“This integrated approach fosters a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing students and researchers to connect the dots across diverse fields to tackle complex real-world challenges successfully.”

“As a matter of fact, a cornerstone of our and the university’s success is transdisciplinary research.”

EBIT collaborates with other departments within the UP for its research, such as Economics, Law, and Health Sciences.

“We cannot have a narrow understanding if we want to solve real-world problems,” said Steyn. He shared a few examples, including addressing the energy challenge in South Africa.

There is a collaboration between electrical engineering for power generation and transmission, economics to evaluate energy transitions’ financial and social implications, and law to address the legal and environmental frameworks.

Another project involving the forensic pathology department and engineering utilises a robot platform as a first responder to crime scenes.

This merges expertise in robotics and sensor technology with the needs of forensic investigators for safer initial assessments.

Additionally, their research into managing water hyacinth involves understanding its biology (Natural Sciences), developing methods for its removal and potential energy conversion (Engineering), and considering the economic implications of its presence and utilisation.

“These are just some examples of the countless interdisciplinary projects that we are so proud of. I could go on and on,” said Steyn.

The Dean also highlights the importance of collaborations with external parties.

“Most of our research is focused on collaborations with external parties, including municipal, provincial, national, and international,” he said.

“Through that collaboration, one identifies the specific issues that need to be resolved, and then we focus on detailed research around that.”

He said that this collaborative approach is essential for identifying and addressing the community’s real needs.

“Through this, we have an incredible track record of finding solutions to complex challenges that better the lives of communities,” he said.

Steyn said this type of work gives graduates a competitive edge, as they become experts in their specialised degrees but also well-versed in fields other than their own.

“The moment you walk out of here, you’ve got a basis. You need to work with the rest of the world and understand that a one-sized approach is never going to work.”

“With our students that go internationally. They excel. Whether they go to other universities for postgraduate training, whether they go and work overseas, they excel,” he added.

Application of knowledge, not parrot learning

“Our students do not just parrot learn things. There are consistent practical applications of what they have learnt,” he added. While there are many, one notable example is the TuksBaja.

This consists a team of engineering students, who are involved in the design, building, and racing of compact single-seater off-road vehicles for the BajaSAE intercollegiate competition.

These vehicles are engineered to navigate rugged off-road terrains in annual competitions that challenge the students’ skills in design, production, and management.

Students participating in TuksBaja progress from basic tasks to manufacturing simple parts and eventually to designing and manufacturing complex subsystems using advanced tools, offering practical engineering experience.

University of Pretoria’s EBIT facilities are world class

In addition, “we boast unique, innovative, and world-class facilities that propel our research and teaching capabilities,” said Steyn. MyBroadband was taken to view just some of these.

First was the R280 million Engineering 4.0 Complex, which houses several laboratories and research and training facilities, including concrete, timber and training laboratories.

It also houses SANRAL’s National Roads Materials Reference Laboratory for independent materials testing and an accelerated pavement testing track on the N4 into Pretoria to monitor traffic, pavement design, and road construction data.

We were then taken to the Civil Engineering department, where Professor SW Jacobsz showed us the only geotechnical centrifuge in Africa and one of two in the Southern Hemisphere.

The centrifuge allows for scaled-down testing of large-scale structures such as tailings dams and foundations, enabling detailed research into their behaviour and potential failure mechanisms.

This research is directly linked to understanding past failures and developing knowledge to prevent future disasters, which is then incorporated into the curriculum.

The faculty also operates the only Mobile Geotechnical Laboratory, facilitating critical on-site analysis.

The truck, which was made possible through a collaboration with Anglo American, is equipped with a full geotechnical laboratory.

This allows for on-site testing of soil samples, for example, at tailings dams located far from traditional laboratories, to ensure their integrity.

In the same department, we also played around with an interactive sandbox that generates contours in real time, which was used to teach about catchments and more.

We then went to Africa’s first Virtual Reality Centre for Mine Design, a 10-meter-diameter 360-degree theatre that allows students to experience a simulated mine environment.

This immersive space provides a safe way to explore hazardous areas and is also used for teaching in other fields, such as rail accident reconstructions.

We finally visited the Carl Emily Fuchs Institute for Microelectronics (CEFIM), which has been active in microelectronics research and specialist training since 1981.

CEFIM focuses on integrated circuit design, particularly analogue signal processors, RF circuits, and optical receivers in CMOS technology. Research includes circuit simulation, device modeling, and semiconductor applications in optoelectronics.

Director Dr Trudi-Heleen Joubert showed us the nano-micro manufacturing facility – a unique on-campus hub dedicated to developing new microcircuits through printed electronics.

Steyn said that he is “very excited” for what the future of EBIT has in store.

He said that he is looking forward to several key areas of development, including further integration of the four schools within the faculty.

Another significant focus for the Dean is ensuring that the faculty’s work continues to be directly linked to the community and solves real-world problems.

“We are doing innovative work. We are doing work that is cutting edge but we are linking it very directly to the communities,” said Steyn.

Regarding the rapidly evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence, Steyn emphasised the need for integration into the curriculum “ethically and correctly.”

“We must make sure that it assists us and is not just a threat because it presents enormous opportunities.”

“Overall, I am very excited about what the future holds for us,” concluded the Dean.

Interview with EBIT Dean, Prof Wynand Steyn

Inside the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology