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We call for a paradigm shift in engineering education. We are entering the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (“4IR”), accelerated by Artificial Intelligence (“AI”). Disruptive changes affect all industrial sectors and society, leading to increased uncertainty that makes it impossible to predict what lies ahead. Therefore, gradual cultural change in education is no longer an option to ease social pain. The vast majority of engineering education and training systems, which have remained largely static and underinvested for decades, are inadequate for the emerging 4IR and AI labour markets. Nevertheless, some positive developments can be observed in the reorientation of the engineering education sector. Novel approaches to engineering education are already providing distinctive, technology-enhanced, personalised, student-centred curriculum experiences within an integrated and unified education system. We need to educate engineering students for a future whose key characteristics are volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (“VUCA”). Talent and skills gaps are expected to increase in all industries in the coming years. The authors argue for an engineering curriculum that combines timeless didactic traditions such as Socratic inquiry, mastery-based and project-based learning and first-principles thinking with novel elements, e.g., student-centred active and e-learning with a focus on case studies, as well as visualization/metaverse and gamification elements discussed in this paper, and a refocusing of engineering skills and knowledge enhanced by AI on human qualities such as creativity, empathy and dexterity. These skills strengthen engineering students’ perceptions of the world and the decisions they make as a result. This 4IR engineering curriculum will prepare engineering students to become curious engineers and excellent collaborators who navigate increasingly complex multistakeholder ecosystems.
This policy brief presents the possibilities of using big data analytics for safe, decarbonised and climate-resilient infrastructure. The policy brief focuses on current constraints and limitations to applying big data analytics to the infrastructure ecosystem and presents several examples and best practices for different infrastructure sectors and at different policy levels (national, municipal) to highlight recommendations and policy requirements needed for deep digital transformation and sustainable solutions in infrastructure planning and delivery.
This research project has been awarded as part of the research competition organized by Connect2Recover, which is a global initiative by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) with the priority of reinforcing and strengthening the digital infrastructure and ecosystems of developing countries. Carried out by an international and transdisciplinary research consortium, the project sets out to analyze the prospects of digital federation and data sharing within the context of Botswana. Considering the country’s stage of economic and digital development, the project team identified Botswana’s smallholder agricultural sector as the most important area of digital transformation given the development need of the country’s primary sector.
Derived from semi-structured interviews, a focus group, as well as secondary research, the project team developed a digital transformation roadmap based on three development stages: (a) crowdfarming pilot, (b) crowdfarming marketplace, and (c) digital ecosystem for smallholder agriculture. Based on a detailed review of Botswana’s smallholder agriculture and the government’s digitalization strategy, the report envisions each phase, especially the pilot project, in terms of a minimal viable product. This is to consider the low level of digital penetration of Botswana’s primary sector, while providing an incentive to connect smallholders with consumers, traders, and retailers.
The project team has been successful in receiving commitment from actual smallholder farmers, the farmer association and government, as well as support for the idea of developing a crowdfarming marketplace as a novel production model and, eventually, a digital agriculture ecosystem for smallholder farmers, livestock producers, and agricultural technology companies and start-ups. The report is a proposal for a phase-one pilot project with the objective to advance smallholder agribusiness in Botswana.