The world of electronics has changed a great deal over the years and has become an incredibly fast-paced industry.
It revolutionises daily and has become a crucial part in almost all aspects of our daily lives. Whether it is checking emails on the run, making a payment via online banking or paying toll fees with an e-tag – you name it, almost everything involves some form of sophisticated electronics these days.
The world, however, keeps evolving and we always expect more. In some instances, we actually need more, especially in a developing country like South Africa where we still face some basic challenges like electricity supply. In this context, development of local skills plays a critical role.
Local skill development is becoming more and more important amongst the educated as well as the uneducated. For our economy to keep growing and for South Africa to move forward, to change and to eliminate some of our key problems, we need to work on developing local skills. We went through quite a slump where many of our experienced or educated citizens were leaving the country in search of greener pastures. Hopefully this is a changing trend.
Skills development should be one of the key aspects and at the forefront of most CSI (corporate social investment) activities or initiatives to better our country, and this can be done in so many different ways. Most things we do can be done in such a way that not only saves electricity, helps disadvantaged children, makes for a greener environment, saves pets or whatever the cause may be – it can surely be done in ways where skills are learnt at the same time, or where we are taught not to litter or to grow our own vegetables, for example.
As the old Chinese proverb goes: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” There is great opportunity to solve some of our local problems in the future if we keep developing and investing in our people.
Towards this end, RS Components recently announced a R1 million sponsorship towards UJ’s (University of Johannesburg) Sasol Solar Challenge efforts. This biennial event will take place between 27 September and 4 October 2-14, with teams from universities around the globe set to participate.
The route is about 2000 km long – translating to roughly 250 km per day – and must be traversed in eight days. The race starts in Pretoria and continues through Kroonstad, Bloemfontein, Colesberg, Graaff-Reinet, Port Elizabeth, Knysna and Swellendam, before ending in Cape Town.
Investing in a university that partakes in a challenge to develop a solar car and race it, is a classic example of investing in research and development as well as developing local skills. The students have to learn and implement various skills such as the engineering side, planning, budgeting, marketing, time management, building and testing of the car, in addition to the actual research done in the alternative energy space.
Countries worldwide face growing demands to strengthen their capacities for research and knowledge production. Therefore, in the past decade, combined partnerships like these have emerged as important drivers of development in a process that has helped change the landscape of higher education, as well as developing skills which form a very important part of any country’s assets.
Reinforcing research and development of electronics in universities – as well as amongst the unskilled – is crucial. This is important for future development as well as how we drive innovation and growth within South Africa and in the global economy.
Research by universities remains a key element of knowledge and innovation. As a global distributor, RS Components stocks up to 500 000 electronics components from around the world, which puts it in a position to assist universities with their research and development, just as it does experienced engineers in their projects. There are, however, other methods on top of that where skills can be developed amongst not only the educated but also the uneducated. A great example, which is available as part of RS’s range of products, is the Raspberry Pi.
There exists no single structure to what constitutes the most appropriate systems for higher-education research and innovation, as well as developing skills amongst the uneducated, but RS is optimistic that there are effective ways of tackling at least one or two of these aspects.
The Raspberry Pi, which is a credit-card sized computer, can assist in making computers available where there is no access to such resources. Even university students who cannot afford a personal computer might struggle to practice what was learnt in class or to do assignments. A Raspberry Pi can solve some of these issues, as it can be plugged into a TV at home and provide students with access to a computer in a relatively accessible and affordable manner.
Due to its affordability, the Raspberry Pi can make computers available to disadvantaged children or to areas where there has never been access. The product does, however, offer a lot more and can actually teach and develop a new skill.
Being able to use a computer in this day and age has become crucial in almost any job, but Raspberry Pi provides more than just access to a computer. It also offers kids, students and even professionals the opportunity to learn how to program, and is being designed into many projects and is in use in real business applications.
As part of its CSI efforts, RS is in the process of setting up a Pi lab within the training centre of a children’s home. This will give a group of disadvantaged children access to computers as well as helping them to learn how to use them, and on top of that they will be able to learn how to program. This may even assist in teaching kids the art of logical thinking. There are also universities that have taken to providing their first year students with a Raspberry Pi, and say they can already see a change in results.
Electronics, information and communication technology have undergone immense growth during the past 30 years. Research and development which includes the use of electronics within universities or, as per RS’s example, even amongst the uneducated, is crucial. South Africa still has a very long way to go but will benefit from continued development and investment in activities such as the solar car challenge or even the use of Raspberry Pi to provide computer access.
To find out how you can join RS in getting involved, or to learn more about the company’s initiatives, send an email to [email protected] or follow the company at www.redrobot.co.za
For more information contact RS Components, +27 (0)11 691 9300, [email protected], www.rsonline.co.za
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| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.rs-online.co.za |
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