Thought Leadership

From ‘tweet to street’: Real world applications in real time. The gap between an idea and its execution – between thought and app – is growing increasingly narrow, opening up a rich playing field for youthful innovators. Today, more than in any previous historical epoch, the arc from the conception of an idea (dreaming it up) to its execution (creating a product in the real world) is shorter than ever before. With global connectivity and cross-border access to data and resources, with crowdfunding and collaborative hubs, it is easier than ever to take an innovative idea in your head and make it real. This kind of rapid innovation and application is reshaping the world as we know it, with new apps and technologies launching almost daily on the global stage. This is encouraging, because, as we are firmly located in the epoch known the Anthropocene (defined by scientists as dating from 1945) – which is a period in which humans have a greater impact on the planet than any other species or natural force – we are going to need to solve problems as quickly as we create them. But not for nothing are we known as Homo Sapiens Sapiens – knowing man. Today, more than ever, our capacity to know ‘stuff’ is growing exponentially. Need to know about thermo-nuclear reactions, positron-emission tomography, biomimetics, capacitive crosstalk or simulated annealing? You have multiple university libraries, search engines, digital catalogues and online articles at your fingertips to help you find out. There’s a blog or a manual on practically every subject on the planet, so that your ability to transform a thought (a bright idea) into an app (a real-world application) can happen almost instantaneously. And innovators and imagineers are getting younger and younger. Millennials seem to be coming up with substantive solutions to real-world problems. Top teens have invented apps that enhance the sound quality of stethoscopes, providing a visual graph on a screen; they have worked on gene sequencing, identifying ‘chimeras’ (two genes that connect to form a unique protein) in rare carcinomas; they have helped to augment the accuracy of FNA (Fine Needle Aspirates) tests for early breast cancer detection. They have designed computer programmes that identify inhibitors that will render deadly flu viruses non-contagious. These are life-saving innovations and, across the globe, other young millennials are making a difference through playful innovation and insatiable curiosity: like the 17-year-old who developed a tool for tracking and ‘cleaning up’ inactive satellites and other space debris, in order to avoid space collisions. In fact, tech millennials have made an impact in virtually every realm of human experience and endeavour. Their methods are often cheap, home-made and cost-effective – from easy water filtration and purification systems for rural areas, to a $10 Global Inlet Director – a simple piece of plastic that can redirect the air flow in an aeroplane cabin to reduce contagious disease transmissions by 55%. Whereas, in the past, innovations were slow to filter down from research labs to reach real people on the street, today, the gap between an idea and access to its applications is narrowing dramatically. It’s a short moment from a tweet (someone broadcasting their idea to the world), to the street – people who can benefit from that new technology. And it often begins with online play. The abundance of bloggers and YouTubers out there means that ideas are circulating at an unprecedented rate. Kids can watch YouTube videos showcasing ‘life hacks’, demonstrating recycling, repurposing and upcycling ideas, providing step-by-step lessons on how to do just about anything on the planet. It’s an epoch marked by an unparalleled fertility of ideas, with cross-pollinations and collaborations across continents. Kids are engaging and talking to each other like never before, albeit often in a virtual space, within a virtual community. And funding for tech projects is now within reach of innovative millennials. Crowd-funding, online campaigns and social networks provide massive audiences who are keen to donate cash to the next compelling project. With this kind of inventiveness, coupled with access to data, professional networks and resources, the future looks promising. And while humans continue to ransack the planet to meet their energy and consumer needs, they’re equally capable of coming up with practical, accessible solutions that undo the damage. The gap between idea and app is narrowing daily.

Be the change, because change is opportunity. As we embrace change and disruption as the new normal, we need to abandon a fear-based response, and see the challenges of change as a gateway to new opportunities.   Our typical human response, when confronted by the new and unfathomable, is the ‘fight or flight’ instinct with which we are all hardwired. We either try to deny that change is happening, and cling to outdated beliefs and stratagems, or we kick back with resistance. But if, instead, we trusted in the organic, evolutionary flow of ideas, and embraced the uncertain future with boldness and bravery, we would open ourselves up to a world of possibility.   The future is all about increased customisation and personalisation, and a true devolution and democratization of power – a truly costumer or consumer-centric era, where meeting people’s individual needs and wants, in real time, is the way the future economy will work. And it’s already happening: globally, people are gaining greater agency in terms of political power, with online petitions, crowd-funded projects, and virtual mass action as the new political response.   In terms of tech, customisation is key. Already Adidas, with their Futurecraft 4D running shoes, will soon be rolling out 3D-printable midsoles that exactly match the wearer’s individual pronation tendencies and pressure points. ‘Printed’ in just under two hours, these customisable running shoes open up the possibility of a footwear store of the future that will allow customers to have their shoes built around their foot and its unique features, on site and while they wait.   Socially, micro-communities and minorities will increasingly find their voice – and purchasing power – as innovators and manufacturers try to open up new niche markets. So, for example, Nike has released a lightweight hijab (religious head garment) for female Muslim athletes. The Nike Pro Hijab is made of a high-tech material that is light and breathable, but sufficiently dense and heavy that it does not come off during competition or intense physical activity.   And this kind of individuated innovation is unfolding right before our eyes, never mind in the year 2050 – mugs that heat your favourite hot drink just right; pre-emptive medical clinics that offer gym facilities and genetic testing to optimize your individual health profile; lifts that move sideways, and not just up and down, to get you right where you need to go; bots that are designed to bond with you; eSight3 glasses that give legally blind people the gift of sight; an induction cook top with built-in sensor and thermometer linked to a cooking app to guide wannabee cooks to culinary excellence. Tailor-made tech on tap is already at our fingertips. So, imagine the world of opportunity that awaits.   In South Africa, the social challenges facing us daily are opportunities hiding in plain sight, and if we positively embrace (rather than fear) change, find solutions pro-actively and encourage a culture of fearless innovation, we stand to turn our economy around. That’s why Belgium Campus creates a consolidated curriculum that takes learning beyond the lecture hall and into the real world. Belgium Campus’s unique Participative Development Model for Education (PDM) builds an arc from academic learning to real-world application and employability, breeding innovators and future scientists who will make a meaningful contribution to society.   As a higher education institution entirely devoted to ICT, Belgium Campus positions you to unlock your potential as a software engineer, software developer, systems architect, business intelligence expert, data analyst, systems and infrastructure expert, data miner or web developer. We have also introduced a totally novel paradigm – the opportunity to specialise in artificial intelligence, data sciences and cyber-security, all developed in collaboration with leading industry experts.   Belgium Campus offers local and International internships, mobility and exchange programmes and learnerships, and has created ‘Learning Factories’ – creative, hands-on, physical work spaces, where students can develop prototypes and test them, allowing them to innovate real applications for the real world, right from year one of their studies. These factories are, in effect, incubation hubs for real-life applications, in collaboration with academic and industry experts, and cover fields where technological interventions are sorely needed: Aeronautics (we have a full-scale airport hangar), Smart Farming, Mobile Health, Education and Creative Economies.   Belgium Campus offers you the complete tool kit you need to become a changemaker of the future.

How do we set our youth up for success in 2018 and beyond? Another academic chapter has closed, and while we reflect on the achievements of 2017, we also look toward the future.   It’s increasingly obvious that the way we do things is changing at a faster rate than ever before. Society, communities and businesses are advancing rapidly and becoming smarter. Take a look around you and notice the innovations, technological improvements and disruptions that are changing how we live and interact. But an area where South Africa is lagging behind, is in the field of education. Providing access to tertiary education for South Africa’s youth remains a priority, but what we fail to realise is that the current education curriculum prepares students for a work environment that is shifting so rapidly that it no longer demands the graduates that universities produce. Armed with a qualification for a discipline that is no longer needed, compounded by a swiftly-changing work environment, our youth are being set up for failure.   According to job advertising search engine, Adzuna, four out of the top five most in-demand jobs of 2017 in South Africa included roles stemming from the ICT the sector. Developers, Java developers, PHP developers and web developers were in demand, with only financial accountants being the ‘traditional’ job still sought after. So, it is clear that there needs to be a shift in thinking to prepare the current crop of school-goers and school-leavers for the world of tomorrow. How do we set our youth up for success – and not failure – in 2018 and beyond?   Developing our youth Africa is expected to have the world’s largest working-age population of 1.1 billion by 2034. With its young population and growing labour force, Africa will take centre-stage to unleash youth development in a new way. An entrepreneurial culture should be instilled, along with problem-solving skills and critical and creative thinking, through learned experiences and mentoring. It is critical to unlock opportunities for the youth demographic if we want to see success in South Africa. This should be seen as an advantageous opportunity rather than a challenging problem.   Embracing urbanisation through sustainability With 40% of the population living in cities, Africa is more urbanised than India (30%) and almost at par with China (45%). Furthermore, 60% – 64% of South Africa’s population is urbanised. Rapid urbanisation will create challenges for cities, but sustainable and well-managed cities will lay the foundation for fully-functional communities, inclusive working environments and, ultimately, for education to flourish. Universities will have a critical role to play in contributing to sustainable societies, in terms of its relationships with society, government, business and basic public services like health.   Empowering communities While mega-cities flourish and thrive, we need to turn our attention to underdeveloped, rural areas, and empower people to make a living and a success out of their hometowns and communities. People need to help each other to recognise opportunities in their communities and to turn assets into entities, to stem the mass exodus of people to major metropoles and to harness the human potential on their doorstep. Technology will play an influential role in connecting more people with each other, in uplifting and developing rural areas, and in providing the tools needed to run business ventures.   The role of universities in nurturing communities Universities need to evolve as society evolves. In a discussion at the International PASCAL Conference in partnership with Belgium Campus and the University of Johannesburg, it was agreed that government, society, industry and academic managers must rethink how they can ensure that the current university will evolve into an entrepreneurial and engaged organisation, whose aim it is to strive for the authentic fulfilment and upliftment of the people and their communities.   Furthermore, universities should try to articulate their own identities as higher-learning institutions, and should work towards creating meaningful, localised curricula, rather than trying to emulate the models offered by International ranking systems, which often completely disregard the unique features and challenges of the African situation.   Sources: 14th International PASCAL Observatory Conference 17-19 October 2017 Report: Trends 2017, Between Cities and the Rural: The Role of Universities in Developing our Societies https://www.fin24.com/Economy/sas-five-most-in-demand-jobs-of-2017-20171031 https://www.infrastructurene.ws/2017/03/07/africas-urbanisation-makes-it-the-prospering-continent/#

Women Inventing Tomorrow Africa is on the cusp of a digital revolution. A new paradigm of creativity and innovation is manifesting in virtually every pocket of the continent, stemming from a surge in information and communications technology (ICT), accelerated by its most powerful resource – its people.   Africa boasts the highest rate of female entrepreneurship in the world. Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world and, according to The Future of Jobs and Skills in Africa (World Economic Forum report), the continent’s working-age population is set to increase by two-thirds, to over 600 million by 2030. Furthermore, women account for more than 50% of the population in Africa, and as the continent with the highest rate of female entrepreneurship in the world, the future success of its economies lies in the empowerment of its women. It is projected that the Fourth Industrial Revolution will generate an array of unprecedented career roles. In fields such as STEM, data analysis, computer science and engineering, the aptitude of professionals who can combine digital and STEM skills with traditional subject expertise will be in demand. According to the World Economic Forum’s report, the long-term benefits of these new roles are likely to be rooted in the promotion of home-grown African digital innovators. Technological innovations such as mobile payment systems, drones and digital applications all highlight the growth of these new features in Sub-Saharan African economies. Furthermore, ecologically sustainable economic models have the potential to create millions of new jobs. The report indicates that, by 2025, approximately 462 000 additional jobs could be created in South Africa alone, including jobs in clean energy generation, energy efficiency, pollution control and natural resource management.   Women at the forefront of innovation have a strong drive to solve social challenges in a sustainable way. Combined with technological innovation, conditions conducive to entrepreneurship can harness solutions for solving some of South Africa’s socio-economic challenges like economic and gender inequality, and can ultimately propel South Africa towards a more inclusive entrepreneurial economy. However, South Africa still has a long way to go in terms of redressing gender inequality. Ranking fifteenth in Africa’s most gender-equal countries, South Africa lags behind Rwanda, Burundi and Namibia in the Global Gender Gap Index 2016. This, compounded by gender stereotyping and cultural barriers, has exacerbated the social and economic inequalities between women and their male counterparts, placing them on the back foot for employment in male-dominated sectors such as ICT. Women make up only 20% of the ICT workforce, hampering the scope of talented young women for ITC and STEM professions.   The World Bank estimates that the average density of ICT jobs in South Africa has increased by 26% over the last decade. Young women need to be encouraged to follow career paths in ICT and STEM, and to be equipped with the cutting-edge skills to design and produce unique, home-grown solutions. Entrenched in the DNA of women at the forefront of innovation is a strong drive to change the world – a drive to solve social challenges with pioneering innovation, in a sustainable way. Education systems should encourage critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence to unlock ideas, so that ground-breaking innovations can be unleashed at the onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Technology is an enabler, and for many female tech trailblazers and digital natives, the world is literally at their fingertips. Follow our social channels during August to learn more about our female students’ stories and their journeys towards changing tomorrow. https://youtu.be/L9ZloEayVhU Sources: https://www.unesco.org/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ED/images/GWIDanieleCastle.pdf https://www.newsweek.com/how-kenya-became-cradle-africas-ict-innovation-534694 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/why-africas-future-depends-on-its-women-entrepreneurs/ https://www.gov.za/speeches/women-digital-business-25-aug-2016-0000 https://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2016/rankings/ https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-and-skills-in-africa-preparing-the-region-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution