Centre futureproofs society

Step inside the Centre for the Future of Work, which helps to create a society that can prosper within an environment of technology and change.

The Centre for the Future of Work (CFoW), launched in May 2022, is a key connector between the University of Pretoria (UP) and the public and private sectors, and will encompass the concept of Society 5.0.

Integration at work

“It’s imperative for South African organisations to prepare their people for the future, to alleviate the unsustainably high level of unemployment and to bring our talented people, young and older, into the next era of work,” said UP ViceChancellor and Principal Prof Tawana Kupe. “We are already seeing the arts and humanities integrating with science, technology, engineering and mathematics to an unprecedented degree. New professions and jobs require us to be entrepreneurial, creative and innovative. The CFoW taps into this.”

He referred to UP’s telemedicine mobile robot, Stevie, as a good example of human and robotic collaboration. Stevie joined the Faculty of Health Sciences at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in July 2021; its digital screen assists in the treatment of intensive care unit (ICU) patients through instant live discussion and communication with ICU teams in Germany and South Africa.

In line with this, the CFoW is working with one of the largest mining groups in South Africa to help the organisation rebuild its training for artisans, as about one-third of their current training is no longer appropriate.

Another robot, Libby, a library assistant, joined UP in 2019, while the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology has acquired smWoef, a quadrupedal robot (robot dog) that will be used as a Smart Alternative Transportation Platform (SATP) to enable data collection in hard-to-reach and at-risk locations, and for routine data collection efforts.

Florida International University, United States

The University Partnership to Grow Administration and Education (UPGRADE) enhances university partnerships between the US and South Africa and focuses on increasing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) capacity as well as improving the knowledge and skills in university administration. Florida International University (FIU) leads the project, with the US Embassy in South Africa providing financial support. The South African partner institutions are University of Pretoria, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Limpopo and University of Mpumalanga.

Michigan State University, United States

The University of Pretoria (UP) and Michigan State University have partnered in a knowledge exchange programme to strengthen student success and well-being.

The universities received $20 000 (about R360 000) through the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) towards their partnership programme.

“The grant is centred around enabling mobility because… we exchange and derive knowledge by actually being on the site and meeting people, hearing what they do, and seeing how that can help us enhance our offerings at UP,”

“Society 5.0 is a system where the combination of human skills, collaborative robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) complement one another in the service of humanity and the planet,” said the Centre’s Director, Professor Natasja Holtzhausen of UP’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. “By proactively contributing to this, the CFoW will be Africa’s centre of excellence on the future of work, producing scientific and popular publications, advisory services and training."

“We need new technologies and approaches that advance humanity at every level and that take us into future worlds of work. UP has been working hard at this,” Prof Holtzhausen said.

“For example, in 2015, the Department of Mining Engineering modernised education with the Kumba Virtual Reality Centre for Mine Design, which features a 360-degree cylinder that immerses students in an underground or any mining scenario. The mine of the near future will automate most activities to improve productivity, safety and working conditions.”

Fast Fact

The CFoW will offer a range of short learning programmes, while its PhD students and postdoctoral fellows will make the future of work their research focus.

said

Dr Kgadi

Mathabathe, Deputy Director: Academic Development at UP.

The Centre can help any organisation or institution to future-proof their workforce and determine what they would need to help employees reskill and upskill for the future of work, as well as reimagine what the workplace of the future will look like.