Central University of Technology (CUT)’s acting vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Alfred Ngowi, has encouraged Free Sate residents to welcome change and embrace technology as it is gradually becoming a way of life.
He said this during a media briefing held in conjunction with the Free State Provincial Government to launch the second Free State 4IR Summit set for this week.
“People should not be afraid of change but rather equip themselves with the 4IR skill set that will keep them relevant in their workspace,” said Ngowi.
The summit will take place at the Boet Troskie Hall at the CUT’s Bloemfontein campus from July 21-22.
“The world is moving towards an era of artificial intelligence and the public sector, institutions of higher learning and corporate giants are coming together and collaborating to stay relevant with the times,” he explained.
The theme for this year is “Accelerating Economic Growth and Development of the Free State Province Through Innovative 4IR Technologies for Eradicating Poverty and Unemployment”.
The first summit was held in 2019 but it was not possible to hold a follow-up event the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ngowi said this year’s summit serves as a continuation of the first one in terms of the broader objectives of consolidating the participation of youth and forging new networks with critical role players in the province.
“The benefits of these partnerships will improve the costs and accessibility of new technologies that are being conceived,” he said.
“We are seeing how these technologies are also creating opportunities that will stimulate the economic growth of the province.”
The acting director general of the Free State Provincial Government, Dr Mafole Mokalobe, expressed satisfaction with the measures taken by both the government and CUT to make technology a part of society’s daily life.
He further urged the organisers of the tech summit to reach far-flung areas and introduce technology to people who do not have access to it.
Mokalobe said the provincial government found the advantages accruing from being part of the summit extremely important.
“That’s why we felt quite strongly that we needed to partner the Central University of Technology . . . and other partners who are part this process as we go along,” he said. – Staff Reporter