University of Johannesburg - Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment - School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Contact person:  Nel Andre  

andren [at] uj.ac.za

is the present Head of School : Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. He has research interests in fields concerning Green buildings, active messaging / networks, network related service in small urban cells and the use of city mediated rolesof development that require academic, municipal and regional government to work with community organizations to mobilize change.

Description of the smart city learning group operating in the affiliated institution

The smart city learning group are a small group of engineers and town planners that are interested in changing patterns of city development in areas that are traditionally seen as urban blight but have the potential for change in third world cities.  In cities such as Johannesburg where there are deep seated divisions that development of a neutral and effective policy for adaptation of the resources will form the only sustainable source of regeneration.
Another avenue of research is into social media for both municipal and higher education use when coupled to an environment with traditionally very high data costs. Social media as a hook into various other local government outreaches is also being explored.

Competences

• Higher Education related social media - specifically around smartphone source material delivery

• ICT related network management and deployment

• Smart green building specialization developments

• Town planning for diversity and use of social media to manage service delivery

• Projects that require academic and municipal participants to manage the rollout of e- type local government services

• Training of large numbers of disadvantaged (non-networked presently) inhabitants to access various grants, services and facilities with greater ease

Relevant achievements, best practices, products

• City of Johannesburg - Digital Ambassadors project - 3 years and funded jointly by UJ and the City of Johannesburg

• MOOC MoU with course supplier for relevant courses to be delivered in Johannesburg

On going challenges

• Access to funding for further work in social media developed upliftment strategies.

• Resistance to the use of MOOCs outside the academic boundaries to carry various city related outreach methods.  One avenue being considered is to hook into one of the local television soaps that have a large following to do some edutainment interaction within the storyline to highlight the benefits of these products.

Relevant publications

At present no published material - although a number of publications are under review.