Engineering centre gets support from Anglo

Anglo American has contributed R10m to the completion of an engineering study centre at the University of Pretoria. This has been made possible through the company's corporate social investment (CSI) arm, the Chairman's Fund, and will eventually assist in educating and empowering future engineers in South Africa.

The study centre will provide individual study, project and group work facilities for more than 7,000 engineering students on campus. It will also have a positive impact on the over 48,000 students enrolled at the institution who have access to the facility as well.

The increased number of engineering students over the last decade has led to a need for the provision of study facilities for students not only during the day, but also after hours. The facility now provides them with a safe option and is an alternate solution for many students that do not have adequate study facilities at home.

Increase in graduates

"The School of Engineering at the University of Pretoria is determined to make a major contribution to increasing the number of professional engineering track graduates by not only increasing the intake of students into the engineering programmes, but also by supporting their success," says Professor Roelf Sandenbergh, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology.

The university is currently expanding the engineering faculty at a cost of R420m. Through combined efforts, the Department of Education (DoE) and the University of Pretoria have contributed a total of R300m, while the university is looking at ways to raise the rest of the money. Chairperson of the Chairman's Fund, Norman Mbazima, concludes that Anglo American's on-going support of the University of Pretoria is based on the company's long-standing commitment to strengthening education.

"The Chairman's Fund strives to empower South Africa's youth by supporting initiatives that create a tangible and sustainable difference in their development. We believe that investing in education is an investment into the future of our country. It is also key to Anglo American's commitment to supporting communities with skills that will sustain and empower them in the long term. This centre will further benefit all the University of Pretoria's students, as well as the mining sector in addressing and developing the scarce technical skills such as engineering that we so desperately need."