- 19 students have graduated from the Samsung Innovation Campus at Walter Sisulu University.
- These graduates mark the first cohort of students that have benefited from the programme and learned basic 4IR skills, like coding in Python.
- The creation of the Samsung Innovation Campus comes through collaboration between Walter Sisulu University and Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CfERI).
A partnership between Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and Samsung South Africa has paid its first dividend as WSU welcomed this week the graduation of 19 students who benefited from the “WSU-Samsung Innovation Campus”.
These graduates mark the first cohort, initially 21 students, inducted to kick-start the partnership programme. All 19 are from the WSU Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology. A Certificate Award Ceremony was held on 17th February at the Blue Lagoon Hotel & Conference Centre in East London.
The partnership between WSU and Samsung was established through the Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CfERI) at the Sekhukhune TVET College in Limpopo, which aims to develop Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) skills in coding, programming, AI and Internet of Things (IoT) in South African youth.
According to CfERI manager Dr Thobekani Lose, the 19 graduates were upskilled and taught the basics of the coding language Python, usually considered the entry point to coding for many, during the period of September and December 2022.
“The students who participated in the programme are now being celebrated through this award ceremony, where certificates will be handed out – arranged by both our University and Samsung,” said Lose.
WSU is now placing special emphasis on entrepreneurship.
“The WSU-CfERI, provides an opportunity for WSU students, local youth entrepreneurs, and WSU alumni to nurture, sustain and grow business ideas as well as small and emerging businesses in the province,” reads a press release sent to Hypertext.
In addition, WSU says that the introduction of the WSU-CfERI partnership, and the Samsung Innovation Centre, “serves as a response mechanism to the high levels of unemployment as it addresses the challenges experienced in rural and disadvantaged communities.”
“The Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) aims to empower a generation of problem-solvers by equipping them with future-proof skills and giving them practical understanding of the technologies that will shape their future and enrich sustainable growth of the world,” said Hlubi Shivanda, director: Business Operations and Innovation and Corporate Affairs at Samsung South Africa.
“As Samsung, we are aware of the great importance of education – this is why we have formed this strategic partnership with WSU to equip young people with the skills and knowledge they will need to build a better world,” Shivanda adds.
