General News

International week (Smart Cities) The Belgium Campus international week started on Monday, 27 March 2017 and ended, 31 March 2017. A group of BC students together with students from Belgium and The Netherlands; visited the Tshwane Call Centre and received a warm welcome from management and the staff. Considerable progress has been made in the integration of municipal services. But there is still a lot to do before the communities can enjoy the full benefits of Smart City innovations. As it stands, responsible members of the community have to physically go to the municipal buildings to get assistance on basic services. We all know how exhausting this process can get. With the long queues and sometimes having to go from cubicle to cubicle, it is not convenient. This is where we come in. As is typical of Belgium Campus, such challenges become opportunities. We put together a group of students from Belgium and the Netherlands as well as some of our students. This group evaluated how we can simplify this process through Information and Communications Technology. Once realized the Smart cities initiative will: Improve lives Improve governance Give better results to residents, and Simplify access to services We are plugged in and capable of developing a practical application for this initiative. You know why? It’s the way we’re wired.  Tap to select the previous period Next

Great response for the BC Open Day The Belgium Campus Open Day held on Saturday 29 July was a great success and a true reflection of how interested people are to learn IT the Belgium Campus way. We want to thank Sybrin for joining us on the day and reaffirming the importance of our relationships with corporate institutions. All three of our campuses had good attendance from prospective students; some even took this opportunity to save their spots for the 2018 academic year by enrolling on the day. We are grateful for everyone’s contribution to this event’s success; we wish to express gratitude to the school principals, guidance teachers and the students that accepted our invitation. We trust that the students now have the right information to make the best choice for their futures. The students are now aware of the many possibilities in this exciting, lucrative and revolutionary career path. They also know that Belgium Campus is South Africa’s premier IT University. The information that the learners received about Belgium Campus, ICT and the important positions that are waiting to be filled in this revolutionary industry- has provided the nudge needed for them to make the final decision on where they should start their tertiary careers.  

THE MARS ROVER INNOVATION The use of robotics to explore celestial bodies has become the most popular and cost effective. Boeing: the world’s largest aerospace company brought us the challenge of designing a Mars rover that is capable of operating within 100 feet of its starting position and can collect rock samples. In addition, the system had to be controlled over the internet. For this challenge, the Belgium Campus students collaborated with students from the University of Melbourne, Australia. The Melbourne Electrical engineering team worked on the electronics side of the project, whilst the Belgium Campus students were responsible for the software aspect: Belgium Campus students were tasked with the planning, execution, and implementation of the client side software; as well as the final testing. Our Robotics and Hardware programming elective subjects put our students at an advantage for this challenge. The Belgium Campus robotics lab lets the students interact and develop their knowledge of industrial devices and technologies. For the Mars Rover challenge, the collaborative team from the two Universities was given a budget of $1000.00 to design a rover with an emphasis on safety. The students met all of Boeing’s specifications and created an internet based control system which allowed the pilot to collect and deliver samples. The Boeing project is one of the many elements that solidify our stance as an innovation-focused institution. Such projects reflect our commitment to providing an industry relevant learning environment for our students.

ACADEMIC UNION, OXFORD NOMINATION Belgium Campus’s international academic prominence was articulated in no uncertain terms when we were nominated by The Academic Union, Oxford for The European Quality Award in Education. This recommendation was made by the Socrates Nomination Committee after having evaluated our implementation of a modern quality education system. The auspicious event was held on 03 July 2017. Vice Chancellor Enrico Jacobs attended as Belgium Campus’s representative, also as a speaker at the event. More than 175 regional businesses, professionals and academic elite from 52 countries worldwide gathered in Lucerne, Switzerland. In honor of individuals and organizations that play a major role in enhancing and maintaining high standards in education and in business. Belgium Campus was recognized and nominated for the high level of learning processes that we provide as well as our ability to continuously provide highly qualified alumni in regards to the latest international educational standards. This event did not only provide us with a platform to showcase our position in the international community. Since the event was designed to honor both Businesses and Educational Institutions, under the theme: From Quality to Excellence – Models of excellence. This convocation gave us a boundless networking opportunity to attract more businesses and educational institutions into partnering with us. The international acknowledgement of our efforts speaks volumes about our relevance in the global community. The fact that we are rated amongst institutions that provide the highest standard of education in the world transposes to our students- both current and prospect. Belgium campus is equipped with the necessary tools, unique teaching methods, and the best personnel to provide the best education. Tap to select the previous period Next

School Visit Hoerskool Die Anker and Hoërskool Warmbad came to see us this week.   When is your school visit? Are you joining us at our #OpenDay on 22 April 2017? Tap to select the previous period Next

Women in ICT The ICT sector remains a buoyant and rapidly growing sector for employmentand a key economic factor underpinning both national and International development. This growth in employment, however, has not yet led to a parallel increase in women in this industry. Statistics show that women in South Africa only make up 20% of the ICT sector workforce compared to a 56% representation globally.   As this problem garners more attention and awareness among socially conscious business organisations, many companies have now begun to fund more black female students to study towards Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professions. In April, Belgium Campus made scholarships available to nineteen black female students from disadvantaged backgrounds.These girls were selected by the South Africa Women in ICT Forum led by Mrs Nokuzola Ehrens and FOTAD (Future of the African Daughter) led by Gqibelo Dandala. Last week, South Africa Women in ICT Forum hosted a brunch to celebrate the girls’ success so far.   Through her experience and academic background in the ICT industry, Gqibelo Dandala noted that a number of factors have contributed to the lack of women in the ICT industry. “I mentor a lot of young girls and I have come to realise that many girls are discouraged from endeavouring to find success in the ICT industry due to lack of resources and support, some are just not interested,” said Dandala. This is despite there being a lot of opportunities available for women in the industry.   Puleng Kwele, the CEO at Broadband Infraco, who chaired the event shared her own impressive ICT career path story as a black woman in the industry, this greatly inspired and motivated the girls. Also present was the Principal, Professor Enrico Jacobs who reiterated thatengaging women in the ICT sector is not only the right thing to do from the point of social justice. He added that as job opportunities in the digital economy continue to grow in South Africa, demand for qualified personnel especially women in the industry is also escalating. He urged the girls to work hard as companies are looking to increase the number of women in the ICT sector.   Mrs Nokuzola Ehrens awarded the girls for their hard work and commitment so far. “I am very proud that you are working very hard and I see that our efforts have not gone to waste. I have always believed that where women are educated and empowered, economies are more productive and strong,” she said. The girls were very appreciative to Belgium Campus and the South African Women in ICT Forum for being given the chance to study. “We are very grateful for the opportunity that Belgium Campus and Women in ICT have given us. We are from disadvantaged backgrounds and one can only dream of such a chance. We are living our dreams and working very hard,” said one of the bursary recipient currently studying under this programme.   Belgium Campus is also working in collaboration with reputable ICT companies such as E.O.H to promote not only black females but also the disabled and the under privileged to bridge the inequality gap.