Sasol invest R250mil to improve university chemistry and engineering teaching

25 October 2008 No Comment

sasol_logo South African petrochemical company Sasol has invested R250-million in universities across the country over the next ten years to improve and develop world-class teaching in the disciplines of chemistry and engineering.

Sasol will grant the country’s universities R25-million each year to develop world-class science and engineering graduates, attract talented academics to teach at those universities, and to facilitate the growth of the engineering profession.

Sasol has already established a number of academic centres and advisory boards and over the past three years has spent R75-million upgrading research facilities and equipment at nine participating universities.

The initiative will benefit the Engineering Council of South Africa in that it will increase the number of engineering practitioners to ensure sufficient future capacity to stimulate the economy.

“This is a proactive step to help our universities meet critical research and development skills essential to the future growth and prosperity of our industry and our nation,” Sasol CEO Pat Davies said.

North-West University Vice-Chancellor Dr Theuns Eloff emphasised the importance of industry investment in tertiary education, saying it helps to attract and retain skilled and experienced academics, while also preserving the quality of teaching in the country.

“The significance of their science and engineering experts teaching on rotation levels at collaborating universities is immeasurable.” He said.

The natural science and engineering faculties of the universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan, KwaZulu Natal, Free State, North West, Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and Pretoria, are all part of the collaboration programme.