SAE2Net

The Southern Africa Engineering Education Network (SAE²Net) is an association of Engineering Institutions of Higher Learning in Southern Africa, established to forge a strong, demand driven and sustainable network of universities, research institutions and industry in Engineering Education and Practice, leveraging on expertise from UK partners.

Partnerships

SAE²Net comprises of 8 Engineering Institutions of Higher Learning in Southern Africa and the University of Leicester (UK partner) (Inner Ring), anchored by supporting partners from industry, regulatory bodies and policy makers (Outer Ring)

Sources of Funding

Since inception in 2012 and through the inaugural Enriching Engineering Education Program (EEEP), the Royal Academy of Engineering provided a grant of £140,000 for the period 2013 - 2015. Through the interactions and engagements with industry, the Zimbabwe Platinum Mines provided a fully funded Professorial Chair in Mining Engineering while various industry partners provided support in the provision of places for secondment of engineering academics and technicians. In March 2019, the Royal Academy of Engineering provided a £10,000 sustainability fund that enabled the development of a proposal that was awarded a further £100,000 grant for a 2-year period up to 2021 under the expanded Higher Education Partnerships for Sub-Saharan Africa (HEP SSA). More industry players have come on board and continue to support the initiative for secondment of engineering academics to gain exposure and access to modern technology and equipment. SINET Africa, a Solar Energy and Environmental Monitoring company provided USD 10,000 for renewable energy equipment. SAE²Net aims to expand the funding basket and sustain its activities through the offering of CPD courses to practising engineers, royalties from innovative projects supported to commercialisation as well as consultancy services and spin-off companies from Industrial Based Project (IBPs) from industry.

Vision

SAE²Net seeks to pool and share complementary resources among its members as well as strengthening ties and bridging the gap between industry and academia using Systems Engineering for capacity building and sustainability through research, innovation, creativity, industrialisation, entrepreneurship and commercialisation.

Mission

SAE²Net coordinates its activities through the network to promote and enhance engineering practice in the region in line with rapid and dynamic trends in engineering technology and in line with the 4^th Industrial Revolution.

Expected Outputs and Impact

SAE²Net’s aims and objectives dovetail with the Government of Zimbabwe’s new thrust for Education 5.0 that now includes Industrialisation and Innovation in addition to the traditional University Teaching, Research and Community Service. There is an inherent need to produce appropriate engineering skills to handle dynamic changes in technology in this 4^th Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) and even more so, prepare the human resources required for the Digital Ecosystem (Industry 5.0). The collaboration envisages the empowering of engineering academics as well as improving linkages between industry and academia, bolstered by the establishment of Innovation Hubs (Incubation and Product Development) and Industrial Parks (Commercialisation) at various universities in the region. The project is in line with the UN Millennium Development Goal #8 (Global Partnerships for Development) and the UN Sustainable Development Goal #17 (Partnerships for Sustainable Development) and seeks to address more specifically the Sustainable Development Goals such as SDG #7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG #9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure). In line with these aims and objectives, the following outcomes and impact are anticipated:

1. Bridging the gap between industry and academia.
2. Appropriate engineering skills imparted and matching industry needs.
3. Confident and well-grounded engineering academics.
4. Promotion of a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
5. Pooling and sharing of resources among network members through CoEs and DTCs
6. Leveraging on expertise from the industrialised world.
7. Dissemination and sharing of knowledge through conferences and the regional journal.
8. CPD for practising engineers and engineering academics.
9. Community service in the provision of services such as water, power and communication.
10. Spin-off companies to provide consultancy services to local communities.

Domicilium Citandi et Executandi

SAE²Net is domiciled in Zimbabwe, with the Secretariat hosted by and based at the University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Engineering, with CoEs in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique.