Empowering black professionals
through the US Chair
Growing knowledge but also growing diversity. That in essence is what the SANRAL-sponsored Chair in Pavement Engineering at Stellenbosch University is all about.
The man in charge, Prof Kim Jenkins, sums it up: “From its inception, the sponsorship of the chair was aimed at the development of human capital and technology in this field. Implicit in the mandate is growth in the diversity profile of South Africa’s pavement engineers. It is also undoubtedly a priority for South Africa.”
How can the SANRAL Chair achieve its objective to empower black engineers?
“Just as the concept of uBuntu can be described by ‘As we rise, we lift’, so coursework is a means of uplifting the young professionals to a stronger position,” says Jenkins.
“Nine specialised postgraduate courses have been developed – including pavement materials, design, construction and management –
all aimed at honing the graduate engineer’s skill in the roads industry.
“At the same time, practitioners need to be kept abreast of new developments and global game changers in pavement technology. Through the involvement of international pavement experts, the courses address these areas.“
But empowerment starts when students arrive at university, at undergraduate level. The fundamentals of road technology are taught and supplemented with practical sessions in the pavement laboratory. This is essential, as it ensures that a sound platform is in place for launching to a higher level.
Postgraduate research progressively becomes more detailed, including a long list of investigations into such areas as new material technologies, performance analysis, road rehabilitation, recycling and so on. The impact of community access prioritisation is important. In addition, new seal and asphalt technology is promoted for appropriate application in developing areas and pavements that carry heavy traffic. The growth in attendance of the SANRAL Chair’s postgraduate courses is captured by the trend of cumulative delegate numbers (shown above).
It is apparent that a significant proportion of delegates are registered postgraduate students.
In addition, there is a strong interest in pavement technology from African Union countries (predominantly in the SADC), which reaches out to engineers who can make a difference in other African countries, says Prof Jenkins.
To date, 82 students have graduated with degrees in pavement engineering. More importantly, the SANRAL Chair’s postgraduate programme has enabled the promotion of diversity at Stellenbosch University.
Within the university’s department of civil engineering and pavement division, more representative demographic profiles have emerged, as can be seen in the diagram below (BCI represents all non-white race groups, where African students comprise more than 90%).
The SANRAL Chair aims to continue to build a more strongly representative demographic profile in the pavement engineering industry of South Africa Black graduates who rise to the position of Director General in the Transportation Ministry, or Chief Transportation Engineer in the private sector will, in turn,
Since its inception, the SANRAL Chair has graduated seven PhDs in pavement engineering. In a short period, the doctoral graduates have grown to proportions of 29% African (black) and 71% white graduates. Many of these graduates find themselves in responsible leadership positions in the roads industry.
empower others to aim for the pinnacle of their professions while serving the community and improving their quality of life.
Prof Kim Jenkins is the SANRAL Chair for Pavement Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch
The Stellenbosch Chair at a glance
The SANRAL Chair in Pavement Engineering at Stellenbosch University was established in 2001. It offers specialised postgraduate courses to students and practitioners in the roads industry to keep them abreast of new global developments. It is also responsible for an undergraduate programme. Every year, between 10 and 15 new postgraduate students are registered, bringing the total number of current students to between 35 and 45. Seven doctoral and 51 Master’s degrees have been awarded under the study leadership of the Chair. Two-thirds of students come from historically disadvantaged communities, reflecting both SANRAL’s and the institution’s commitment to diversity. Among its defining features is its cooperation with international universities in Rwanda, Brazil, China, the Netherlands, Italy and America. Locally, the Chair works closely with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the South African Bitumen Association (Sabita) and other South African institutions of higher learning.
