Photo: CUT and Samsung’s partnership bears long-lasting fruits that will contribute to the country's central region's 4IR transformation initiatives. Congratulations to the top 3 achievers and prize winners of Samsung Innovation Campus. From left, Lethokuhle Iglesias Machebe, 3^rd position; Maneo Ramohlosi, 2^nd position winner and one of the only eight females in the programme, Leapola David Mokone, final year Electrical Engineering student and 1^st position of the top 3 prize winners.

 

The Central University of Technology and Samsung celebrated a moment where 20 first-cohort students enrolled for the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) programme. The first to be rolled out in Africa, CUT graduates are the first cohort to graduate in the programme. The super graduates are equipped with the critical 4IR skills: Coding and Programming, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Cyber Security and Big Data. Of the 20 students, 8 are females, 19 in IT and the top achiever in Electrical Engineering.

The CUT-Samsung Innovation Campus programme was launched in November 2022 to upskill graduates with critical Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) skills to prepare and boost youth employment in the technology sector. The two parties fostered this agreement to coach the CUT student community on the skills needed to contribute to the socioeconomic progress of South Africa’s Central Region.

Prof. Sam Mashele, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, said the partnership with Samsung is a testament to the university’s commitment to fostering innovation, research, and skills development in line with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “For this, we remain immensely grateful to Samsung. The MoU signed paved the way for a remarkable journey of learning and growth. Our collaboration is a powerful testament to a collective commitment to driving innovation, research, and skills development to shape a better future for the youth and the nation. This SIC is an essential component of the 4th Industrial Revolution, and through this collaboration, we have opened doors to fantastic opportunities for our students and staff members. We are proud to be associated with Samsung's innovative solutions that the company has brought into academia. As CUT, we aspire to be key role players in the 4IR space and realise our mission of becoming the leading university of technology in Africa, producing graduates with 4IR skills, and fostering a culture of research, innovation, and engagement. We anticipate fruitful years of collaboration to help us maximise stronger partnerships with Samsung.”

When congratulating the super graduates, Prof. Mashele said, “Dear students, I am delighted that we are here to celebrate your commitment to excellence and dedication to learning. You have set an example for your peers, and I congratulate each of you on your outstanding achievements.  As we celebrate this milestone, I assure everyone that our journey has just begun. The Samsung Innovation Campus at CUT will continue to grow and evolve, empowering you and the residents of the Free State Province and elsewhere in the country with the necessary skills and knowledge to embrace the massive opportunities of the 4th Industrial Revolution.”

Photo: Twenty CUT students have completed Phase I of Samsung’s Innovation Campus (SIC) Programme and have been awarded certificates of competence at the SIC graduation ceremony. Of the 20 students, 8 are females, 19 in IT and the top achiever in Electrical Engineering. The newly developed programme is envisioned to upskill them with the critical 4IR skills: Coding and Programming, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Big Data. The graduates are the first cohort of the programme in South Africa.

 

Mr Hlubi Shivanda, Samsung Director: Business Operations & Innovation and Corporate Affairs mentioned that the programme aims to develop and teach 4IR skills to university students, and the curriculum has been tried, tested, and implemented in other countries where Samsung operates. South Africa is the first in Africa where this programme is rolled out.

“CUT is our pilot partner, and the students are our first cohort in the country. This affirms a successful implementation of the SIC programme, a global best practice initiative that has been tested in many markets where Samsung is present. “The ultimate objective of this programme is to contribute towards the national imperative of creating work-ready and employable students. The collective vision is to turn students into future technological leaders and ICT entrepreneurs. At Samsung, we believe that the future of any country lies in the hands of young people, and education gives them the greatest chance to realise their full potential and prepare for tomorrow. Therefore, our mission is to allow us to invest in the country’s youth and in the partnership with CUT to help all of you today prepare for possible careers in technology and innovation,” he said.

Honourable Buti Manamela, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, commended CUT and Samsung partnership for collaborating and partnering in implementing the SIC programme. “To us as a government, this programme is important in several aspects and serves as an important contribution to addressing our country’s critical skills challenge. This programme also supports the objectives of the government’s 4IR-related interventions guided by the presidential commission on the fourth industrial revolution. As a government, we are focusing on the development of human capital for the development of 4IR, he said.

He further said that the CUT-SAMSUNG collaboration is an excellent example of a Public-Private Partnership, which can be used to contribute towards assisting our country to address some of the challenges faced, that of youth and particularly graduate unemployment.

SIC student graduates said the programme is a game changer in the 4IR era and will enhance their skills and open doors for them.

Watch: SIC Class of 2023

Uploaded: 08 August 2023