By <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alison-gillwald-458374">Alison Gillwald</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cape-town-691">University of Cape Town</a></em></span>

<p>In the three short years that the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/">World Economic Forum (WEF</a>) has been punting the concept of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) as the route to prosperity for digitally savvy nations, it has become global policy conventional wisdom. </p>

<p>South Africa has <a href="https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2019-05-25-in-full-president-cyril-ramaphosas-inauguration-speech/">not been immune </a>to the hype. The government has shifted its focus and resources to the 4IR. And it’s been prioritised over more mundane, but essential, policy interventions aimed at ensuring the more equitable inclusion of the populace into a modern, digital economy. </p>

<p>This diversion of resources is not by government only. International donor agendas and funding have pivoted to the 4IR. This has mostly been to Artificial Intelligence (AI). In the process, critical research on creating the necessary conditions in developing countries for inclusive digital economies and societies, and implementation projects, have been left stranded. These would include ensuring broadband extension, affordable access, education and digital skills.</p>

<p>Without public investment in independent, local multidisciplinary digital policy research there has been no base to prepare policy makers for 4IR. Public interest research in this area has long been dependent on the vagaries of donor funding. It is therefore not surprising that South Africa relies on the blueprints of international lobbies, global industry associations and private foundations representing the interests of what have become global monopolies.</p>

<p>Government’s response to the lack of policy research on 4IR has been the <a href="https://www.csir.co.za/south-africa-and-world-economic-forum-announce-intention-establish-4ir-affiliate-centre">establishment</a> of the WEF Centre for the 4IR based at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). </p>

<p>Various government departments have developed policies in their sectoral silos. But there is no overarching digital policy to achieve the co-ordination required across the state and between the public and private sectors. </p>

<p>A <a href="https://www.dtps.gov.za/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=811:president-cyril-ramaphosa-appoints-commission-on-fourth-industrial-revolution&amp;catid=13&amp;Itemid=138">commission appointed</a> by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year is meant to provide some of this overview. Can it, with the industry-dominated working groups, provide a public interest outcome? And why are the industry-led working groups replicating the protracted six-year integrated White Paper process that has yet to be implemented? </p>

<h2>Wrong assumption</h2>

<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africa-is-caught-in-the-global-hype-of-the-fourth-industrial-revolution-121189">adoption by South Africa</a> of 4IR models and policy designed by WEF partner consultants is based on a number of assumptions that don’t apply to developing countries. These include mature, competitive markets and functioning democracies, capable institutions and educated and healthy populations. As a result, the proposed policies are unlikely to contribute to economic growth, job creation and the empowerment of women envisaged by President Ramaphosa in his <a href="https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2019-05-25-in-full-president-cyril-ramaphosas-inauguration-speech/">inaugural address</a>.</p>

<p>Unlike most other African countries, South Africa has already developed some cutting-edge public and private sector 4IR technologies. The CSIR, for example, owns the largest 3D <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=3&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwidtY7zkMbjAhV1XRUIHf_3C6sQFjACegQIDBAI&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.co.za%2Fsouth-africas-largest-3d-printer-is-so-big-that-it-takes-up-to-r75-million-in-titanium-powder-to-fill-it-2018-7&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PC-BT-RfE83aFHkfVIjKd">printer</a>.</p>

<p>But public investments have done little to deal with the country’s extreme digital inequality. The productive use of these enabling new technologies is only being enjoyed by a relatively small elite. Half of the country’s population doesn’t have even basic access. And for those barely online due to affordability or skills challenges, digital use is <a href="https://researchictafrica.net/after-access-south-africa-state-of-ict-2017-south-africa-report_04/">entirely consumptive</a>.</p>

<h2>Uneven disruptions</h2>

<p>There is little doubt that the inevitable rise of the advanced technologies of artificial intelligence, blockchain and drones will disrupt economies and societies. But when this happens, the degree to which it will happen will be highly uneven. Like other industrial revolutions, this one will be characterised by evolution as much as by disruption. Unless something dramatically different is done, one of the continuities will be the perpetuation of inequality. And the primary determinant of inclusion is education and digital skilling.</p>

<p>The layering of advanced technologies over existing inequalities won’t contribute to digital inclusion. It will simply worsen inequality within and between nations. How quickly South Africa is able to redress existing inequalities will determine the degree to which it is able to harness the potential benefits of advanced technologies for equitable development. </p>

<p>This is not to suggest that South Africa should eschew all international good practice. The country’s shortage of resources, particularly skills and expertise, requires it to use private investments for the delivery of public goods such as the Internet. But this doesn’t mean abdicating digital policy to the private sector, international or domestic. </p>

<p>And 4IR is distracting government from the unfinished business of previous policy and institutional failures, as well as regulatory bottlenecks. While government continues to deal with digital policy in sectoral silos it will not be able to deal with the cross-cutting nature of “digitisation” and “datafication” of the economy and society.</p>

<h2>What’s needed</h2>

<p>To fulfil its social contract with the citizenry, South Africa requires a capable state. The state must create the enabling conditions for the public and private sector to harness the opportunities arising from technological developments. </p>

<p>But to do so it must complete the multitude of policies and regulations that have not been implemented, or are not been implemented according to policy intent. Examples include the five-years-overdue connectivity for all public buildings and installation of public wi-fi at them. Another is a decade-long failure to release high-demand spectrum. And there’s the incomplete market concentration review as well as the two-decade failure to complete the digital migration. </p>

<p>It is true that the country can’t wait around while this being done. Integration into the global economy is happening at a faster and faster pace. But it’s not automatically beneficial. What’s needed is data and analysis to inform policy through genuinely consultative multistakeholder processes that represent the diverse interests and expertise within the country. Otherwise South Africa won’t be included on its own terms or on those of its partners.</p>

<p>South Africa needs to institutionalise digital data gathering together with the national statistical system which underpins multidisciplinary policy research in its universities and policy formulation. Only then will it be able to develop organic, alternative policy and regulatory strategies to those that have failed in developing country contexts. </p>

<p>To this end public investment in universities is needed. This will enable knowledge and skills to be developed to undertake research and implement policy. </p>

<p>This will necessitate a shift from the sectoral silos in which digital policy has traditionally been formulated. In its place a national policy enabling the necessary integration is required across the public sector. In addition, there needs to be coordination between the public and private sectors.</p>

<p>Governments have no control over the biggest players operating in their jurisdictions. These near-monopoly global platforms are largely unaccountable to anyone. Platforms that are offering millions of people social value services are also – wittingly or not – exposing them to mass surveillance, public and private. This is popularly referred to as <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=13&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjAk93rj7DkAhVR_KQKHWZjD0sQFjAMegQIABAB&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftechnology%2F2019%2Fjan%2F20%2Fshoshana-zuboff-age-of-surveillance-capitalism-google-facebook&amp;usg=AOvVaw3t-BRvhH70kImuASnSrF6i">“surveillance” capitalism</a>.</p>

<p>So at the same time as creating affordable access to the internet, South Africa must find ways of effectively mitigating risks and preventing potential harm. Two events have brought this into sharp relief. The first was the attack on national databases. The second was the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;soure=web&amp;cd=14&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiAzNzyoKjjAhVESBUIHTOrD10QFjANegQIBBAB&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wired.com%2Fstory%2Fcambridge-analytica-facebook-privacy-awakening%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw3QIR7DyGAADiTAv3-8Ed11">Cambridge Analytica</a> debacle. This involved the personal details of approximately 60 million South African Facebook users being exposed.</p>

<p>South Africa does not have the luxury of dealing with these problems  sequentially. Adaptive regulation is needed to ensure the country reaps the benefits of digitalisaition and datafication that will integrate it more into the global economy. And limiting harms will require complex, adaptive regulation. </p>

<p>This will be a challenge for the country’s historically weak sectoral policy and regulatory institutions. It will also require cross-sectoral coordination between communications, international affairs, trade, defence, science and technology.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121191/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" /></p>

<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alison-gillwald-458374">Alison Gillwald</a>, Adjunct Professor, Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cape-town-691">University of Cape Town</a></em></span></p>

<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africa-must-harness-technology-in-a-way-that-helps-fix-its-problems-121191">original article</a>.</p>

How can South Africa harness technology in a way that helps fix its problems?

By <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-adams-790073">Rachel Adams</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/human-sciences-research-council-2144">Human Sciences Research Council</a></em></span>

<p>The Fourth Industrial Revolution is, ostensibly, upon us. The <a href="https://www.weforum.org/about/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-by-klaus-schwab">term was coined</a> in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Form. </p>

<p>Broadly, it refers to the collapsing of boundaries between the physical, digital and biological spheres. More specifically, it’s about the digitalisation of all kinds of systems and processes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of this reality. This involves systems that, as the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/definition-artificial-intelligence-main-capabilities-and-scientific-disciplines">European Commission puts it</a>, “display intelligent behaviour by analysing their environment and taking actions … to achieve specific goals”. </p>

<p>AI is used today in everything from face and speech recognition technologies to image analysis software. It’s also a cornerstone of self-driving cars and advanced robotics.</p>

<p>Part of this “revolution’s” promise is that AI and similar technologies <a href="https://www.dst.gov.za/images/2019/White_paper_web_copyv1.pdf">will be used</a> to drive economic growth, development and positive societal change. But critical inquiry is urgently needed to gauge what effects the fourth industrial revolution is having and will have on vulnerable, marginalised populations.</p>

<p>In South Africa, there has been some discussion around the <a href="https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2019-07-04-4ir-in-sa-is-too-important-to-remain-the-domain-of-the-elite/">elitist discourse</a> in which conversations about the fourth industrial revolution are happening. Some have pointed out the need to ensure that policy linked to these changes address all stakeholders’ needs. Others have explored its potential effects <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-07-04-4ir-the-good-the-bad-and-the-inequality-gap/">on inequality in the country’s job market</a>. But there has been little discussion around how women specifically may be affected.</p>

<p>This is a worrying oversight. The world of the fourth industrial revolution looks set to be one dominated by forms of knowledge and industries – like science and technology – that have long been <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3281807">dominated by men</a>.</p>

<p>In addition, many of the opportunities the fourth industrial revolution is thought to offer are internet based. Yet, as a <a href="https://www.apc.org/en/news/african-women-face-widening-technology-gap">recent study</a> has shown, women tend to have less access to internet based technologies than men do in Africa. This means that the impact on women’s lives and work opportunities becomes a critical concern. </p>

<h2>The future of women’s work</h2>

<p>The future of work has been one of the key discussion points in the context of new technologies and the fourth industrial revolution. </p>

<p>With the increase in automaton, those working in <a href="https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf">“routine intensive occupations”</a> – such as secretarial or call centre work – are considered likely to be replaced in the workplace by computers, which are thought to be more efficient and less costly. Robots are being prepped to replace <a href="https://emerj.com/ai-sector-overviews/applications-of-ai-in-elderly-care-robotics/">care-worker jobs</a>. These types of professions, along with others that are particularly vulnerable to being replaced by robotics or computers, are <a href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/women_and_the_future_of_work#">generally occupied by women</a>.</p>

<p>In South Africa, where the <a href="http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=11375">labour market is already more favourable to men than women</a>, this presents a serious concern. </p>

<hr>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>
      Read more:
      <a href="http://theconversation.com/south-africans-are-upbeat-about-new-technologies-but-worried-about-jobs-120358">South Africans are upbeat about new technologies, but worried about jobs</a>
    </strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr>


<p>There are other reasons to worry. The gender <a href="https://www.apc.org/en/news/african-women-face-widening-technology-gap">digital gap</a> in South Africa, and on the African continent more broadly, is only widening, with women having lower digital literacy, less access to internet based technologies, and less relevant online content to men. This suggests that women may be left out of increasingly digital work opportunities too.  </p>

<p>In addition, due to the burden of care and domestic duties women tend to carry on top of paid work, women <a href="http://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/emotional-labor-around-the-world-an-interview-with-arlie-hochschild/">have significantly</a> less time than men to undertake further education and training. That means they won’t easily be able to boost their digital skills.</p>

<p>These realities reveal some of the gaps in South Africa’s existing policy objectives around the fourth industrial revolution. For instance, the country’s <a href="https://www.dst.gov.za/images/2019/White_paper_web_copyv1.pdf">White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation</a> is to provide information and communications technology training at all levels. But given the problems I’ve outlined, women are less likely than men to benefit from this.</p>

<p>So what can the country do differently?</p>

<h2>Lessons and research</h2>

<p>For starters, it could learn from other countries. In Ghana, an initiative called <a href="http://www.stembees.org/about-us/">STEMbees</a> not only promotes science, technology, engineering and maths training for women and girls; it also addresses social issues such as digital safety. There could be lessons here for South Africa.</p>

<p>The country should also consider how technology can be used to empower and help women rather than shutting them out. There are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2017/mar/20/meet-the-women-using-tech-to-combat-sexual-assault">many examples</a> of this globally. </p>

<p>Along with this learning, South Africa needs to thoroughly research and understand the effects of the fourth industrial revolution on women and the barriers – whether educational, social or technological – to accessing and utilising internet based resources. </p>

<p>Policy responses to promoting women in STEM need to holistically address both the lack of women in STEM fields as well as the structural factors that have led to this situation.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121216/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" /></p>

<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-adams-790073">Rachel Adams</a>, Research Specialist, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/human-sciences-research-council-2144">Human Sciences Research Council</a></em></span></p>

<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-risks-leaving-women-behind-121216">original article</a>.</p>

Will the Fourth Industrial Revolution leave women behind ?

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<p>With many of the issues that one is facing with the fast approaching 4th industrial revolution, data is one that many in South Africa can relate too. biNu has created a Data free campaign which is based on the concept of reverse billing and lessens the burden on mobile users accessing websites. biNu CEO, Stephen Newton is, former Head of Google South Africa and has recently entered into a partnership with MTN South Africa for his biNu venture. He joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


biNu and MTN SA invent reverse billing concept to curb data costs for South Africans

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<p>Due to the changing nature of work in the wake of the 4th industrial revolution, many jobs have been threatened by the implementation of automation. However, the World Bank Future of Work in Africa report revealed that jobs in Africa will mostly likely not be affected by new technologies. World Bank Chief Economist for Africa, Albert Zeufack joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


World Bank: The future of jobs in Africa is secure


<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/agriculture-13730152618Ej-1110x735.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-335002"/><figcaption>Picture: Public Domain Pictures</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">With Africa poised to have the largest workforce by 2035,
will we have enough food?</h3>



<p>By <a href="http://cnbc.africa/?s=nnamdi+oranye">Nnamdi
Oranye</a> and Ryan Peter</p>



<p>I&#8217;m sure you know by now, but we&#8217;re at the dawn
of a new age. When you studied history at school, you probably (at least once)
wondered about what it might have been like to live in the dawn of the
industrial revolution, or the advent of the Renaissance, or perhaps even the
Tang dynasty in China, or some other key time period in human history. But in
generations to come, people will wonder what it was like to live in *your* time
period &#8211; the emergence of a new technological age; the time of the Fourth
Industrial revolution; the time when humanity and technology began to converge.</p>



<p>What will be the outcome? It remains to be seen.
There are a lot of alarmists out there, but when we look at the data, we&#8217;re
seeing the positives are far outweighing the negatives.</p>



<p>History shows us that this generally happens.
Think of what it must have been like at the beginning of the Agricultural
Revolution of the 18th century in Britain. This was a key time when
agricultural methods finally broke with the past, with new techniques and
scientific discovery led to better crop yields, greater diversity of crops, and
the ability to sustain more livestock. It was a huge contributor to Britain&#8217;s
growth, economy, and health, in particular. Farming suddenly became big
business, thanks to the invention of technology such as the horse-drawn seed
press, which made labour much less intensive and much more productive. Britain
actually progressed more rapidly than any other European country, despite its
smallness. The new methods meant more could be done on the same land than ever before.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology brings benefits &amp; social change </h2>



<p>This Agricultural Revolution brought with it
major changes. The positive changes were obvious: food was more widely
available, could be sold for cheaper, and more people could sustain their
health. A healthy society is a more productive, happy society, which brings
with it all the benefits. Productivity and availability were all increased. But
it caused major social upheaval as well. In order to support the new methods of
farming, Enclosure Laws were passed, which limited the common land available to
small farmers. Wealthy lords soon swooped in and purchased public fields,
pushing out the small scale farmers, who migrated to the cities (and later
became the labor for new emerging industries in the Industrial Revolution).
Technology always brings with it tremendous benefits along with major social
change. </p>



<p>Things are no different today. We&#8217;ve got the
emergence of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) which is set to change everything &#8211;
and in numerous positive ways. The rise of self-driving farm vehicles is one
aspect in agriculture that is getting a lot of mainstream press. In the
Agricultural Revolution there was the horse-drawn seed-press, today there is
the computer-drawn seed press. But there is also a huge amount happening behind
the scenes with the advent of A.I. Machine learning models are being developed
to help both track and predict local weather and other environmental impacts,
or measure and predict soil quality. Access to the technology is also becoming
significantly easier.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The agriculture sector remains challenging</h2>



<p>Nuru (Swahili for &#8220;light&#8221;), developed
by <a href="https://plantvillage.psu.edu/solutions">PlantVillage</a>
is an A.I. assistant that provides expert level farming knowledge to anyone who
has the app on their phone. It has learned to diagnose various diseases &#8211;
armyworm infections, potato disease, wheat disease, and others. Along with this
app, PlantVillage is looking to use drones that collect images and video and
help farmers to spot disease in their crops a lot easier. PlantVillage is even
looking to use satellite imagery to spot where crops are struggling. This is
being used in Africa today. A lot of this is making use of Tensorflow, which is
Google&#8217;s open sourced A.I. to help developers find solutions to real-world
problems. Just this week, Google opened its first A.I. lab in Ghana. The
company is clearly positioning itself as an A.I. company first and foremost. </p>



<p>The Agricultural Sector remains one of Africa&#8217;s
most challenging sectors, but it is transforming quickly. In Sub-Saharan
Africa, it is projected to become a US$1 trillion industry by 2030, according
to <a href="https://www.pwc.co.za/en/press-room/tech-innovation-agribusiness.html">PriceWaterhouse</a>.&nbsp; With Africa to have the largest workforce by
2035, an increased healthy food production is absolutely key. We have to
challenge our traditional modes of thinking when it comes to farming. With so
much land available and so much new technology beginning to emerge,
agribusiness is sure to be good business looking forward.</p>



<p>We can&#8217;t go back. Technology has arrived, is
here to stay, and is ready to evolve along with us. Yes, it&#8217;ll bring societal
change. Yes, lawmakers will probably even make mistakes. Arguably, the
Enclosure Laws did help to create wide class gaps which the Industrial
Revolution exacerbated. But on the other hand, it also helped lift many others
out of poverty. The question for all of us is whether we will run ahead and
foresee the change coming, work with it, work with the players involved, and
guide it all towards greener pastures. </p>



<p><em>Nnamdi Oranye
is an author and the CEO of Disrupting Africa, a research think-tank dedicated
to moving African innovation forward. He is the author of “</em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Disrupting-Africa-Rise-African-Innovation-ebook/dp/B01EIG274S/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=nnamdi+oranye&amp;qid=1555507001&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-2-spell"><em>Disrupting
Africa: The Rise and Rise of African Innovation</em></a><em>” and “</em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Silicon-Valley-Africas-Innovators-ebook/dp/B0759G581H/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=nnamdi+oranye&amp;qid=1555506964&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1-spell"><em>Taking on
Silicon Valley: How Africa’s Innovators Will Shape its Future</em></a><em>”.</em></p>



<p><em>Ryan Peter
is a writer and the chief editor of the </em><a href="https://disruptingafrica.com/index.php?title=List_of_African_Innovators"><em>Disrupting
Africa Encyclopedia</em></a><em>, which
has made it its mission to write the stories of Africa’s innovators and
entrepreneurs.</em></p>


A.I. AgriBusiness is Good Business

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<p>According to Brian Monakali, General Manager of Capital Planning at Transnet, the 4th Industrial Revolution will change the face of the freight service industry. He warns that if railways are not proactive and adapting- they will be less competitive and disrupted. Brian- who is also the Chair of the International Heavy Haul Association joins CNBC Africa to discuss the threats and opportunities of technology in the rail sector.</p>


Transnet’s Brian Monakali on disruption in the rail & heavy haul industry

<figure><img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238442/original/file-20180928-48653-n3qtif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="File 20180928 48653 n3qtif.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1" /><figcaption>A humanities degree can open people’s minds in the fourth industrial revolution.<br />
<span class="attribution"><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></span>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ruksana-osman-170385">Ruksana Osman</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-witwatersrand-894">University of the Witwatersrand</a></em></p>
<p>The term “<a href="https://www.weforum.org/about/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-by-klaus-schwab">fourth industrial revolution</a>” is understood in various ways. Some people are excited about it. Others are cautious. Some assume it means that technology and robots will take over every human activity. And still others imagine that this “revolution” will lead only to joblessness and automation.</p>
<p>There are also those who are sceptical and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/there-s-no-such-thing-as-the-fourth-industrial-revolution-a7441966.html%20and%20insist%20that">insist</a> it’s no revolution at all. They argue that it’s just an improvement and fusion of various technologies – like artificial intelligence and 3D printing – and acceleration in productivity.</p>
<p>In all these instances, the interaction of technology with humans and humans with technology is underestimated. The emphasis on interaction is key to understanding the fourth industrial revolution. And this epoch will, like all times of change, require universities to push the boundaries of teaching and learning.</p>
<p>Universities will need to ensure that students are equipped with approaches to learning that involve agility, adaptability and curiosity. It will be a challenge for us all.</p>
<p>The fourth industrial revolution will also raise many questions for universities to consider. What needs to shift in how lecturers teach and how students learn and will be learning? What does the blurring of the lines between the physical, digital and technological mean for social relationships and for student learning? What do these shifts mean for different countries? Is learning in an environment with peers (virtually or in a class) better than learning online?</p>
<p>In seeking answers, societies must create the space to have conversations across social, academic, industry and community boundaries. The purpose of these conversations is to determine priority areas that need to be improved by the rapid technological changes we are currently experiencing as well as thinking about how we redefine the human condition.</p>
<p>Universities have a crucial role to play in these conversations. And a humanities education has a lot to offer when it comes to preparing students for the fourth industrial revolution.</p>
<h2>Harnessing the humanities</h2>
<p>A humanities education inculcates the importance of reflecting on the vast array of methodological and societal issues that arise from any practices. These include the technological and computational practices that underpin the fourth industrial revolution.</p>
<p>Critical thinking, debating and creative problem solving are taught in the humanities. This kind of critical orientation allows students to explore the complex human-to-human relations and the <a href="http://www.wits.ac.za/news/latest-news/research-news/2017/2017-09/human-vs-machine.html">human to robotic relations</a> that we are already encountering and that will become ever more common.</p>
<p>This isn’t to suggest that <em>only</em> the humanities are relevant. Cross-disciplinary communities of researchers and educators matter and will matter now more than ever.</p>
<p>This is particularly true in South Africa where the education system hasn’t provided for the breaking down of boundaries between the sciences, let alone between the disciplines in the humanities. Collectively we will need to do more when it comes to drawing on approaches from various disciplines, which will allow for quantitative reasoning, problem solving and systems thinking that are socially relevant.</p>
<p>Such partnerships are already happening in small pockets, and are yielding promising results.</p>
<h2>Collaborating and mutuality</h2>
<p>For instance, the Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg collaborates with the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment to offer a <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/wsoa/digital-arts/undergraduate/game-design-/">joint undergraduate programme</a> that meshes engineering with arts to make a programme in game design and digital arts.</p>
<p>Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Engineering students work alongside each other in courses that are team-taught to design innovative high tech games. It’s not all fun: games, after all, are a means of challenging ourselves, controlling outcomes, competing, and figuring out successful strategies of doing things.</p>
<p>Students from this programme draw on a variety of skills like problem solving, inferential thinking and visualisation. They have produced games that are frequently downloaded from various app stores.</p>
<p>Similarly, the university’s faculties of science and humanities offer a postgraduate programme on <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/course-finder/postgraduate/humanities/e-science/">e-Science</a> or Data Science. The programme brings together science and humanities students and staff to work on complex, big data problems. They’re also taught to think of ways to visualise and communicate this information and to question the predictive powers of big data.</p>
<p>Students are exposed to various interdisciplinary approaches like statistical computing and modelling, data visualisation, text analysis, and geographical information systems. Master of Arts students take courses in data privacy and ethics alongside MSc students. This course is team-taught and students engage with complex problems from two or more science and humanities disciplines.</p>
<p>These and other examples of innovative teaching and learning help to disrupt the current techno talk that dominates conversations about the fourth industrial revolution. It’s essential that we bring our ideas to the fore and reshape the conversations in ways that resonate with who we are, where we are located and what this means for us and our futures.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103925/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ruksana-osman-170385">Ruksana Osman</a>, Professor and Dean of Humanities, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-witwatersrand-894">University of the Witwatersrand</a></em></p>
<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-humanities-can-equip-students-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution-103925">original article</a>.</p>

Can the humanities prepare African students for the fourth industrial revolution?

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<p>CNBC Africa&#8217;s Fifi Peters spoke to the Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams about the need to increase support SMEs and women in ICT.</p>


Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on supporting women in business

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<p>South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, hosted the Health Ministers BRICS meeting where they discussed various issues pertaining to the improvement of each country’s health systems. For more CNBC Africa caught up with the minister on the side-lines of the 10th Brics summit 2018.</p>


Brics health ministers pledge to improve health systems

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<p>On the side-lines of the 10th Brics summit 2018 CNBC Africa spoke to Executive Secretary of SADC Stergomena Lawrence, on how SADC can collaborate with Brics on industrialisation and infrastructure development.</p>


SADC plans to team up with Brics on infrastructure

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<p>Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene has called for emerging economies to unite against protectionism at the ongoing 10th Brics summit. He also touched on the bailouts extended to SOEs and responsibilities that these entities should assume.</p>


Nhlanhla Nene speaks on why emerging economies are most at risk from trade wars

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<p>Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies outlines key takeaways from the 10th Brics summit and how SA’s presence in Brics is important to Africa’s growth.</p>


Rob Davies on how important Brics is to Africa

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<p>Kirill Lipa CEO of Transmashholding speaks to CNBC Africa about the decision to invest in South Africa’s transport sector on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.</p>


Why SA is an attractive investment destination for this Russian rail company

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<p>Dr Iqbal Surve, Chairperson, Brics Business Council outlines the need to use the Brics Summit as catalyst to deepen Africa’s integration and trade links.</p>


The role of Brics as driver for intra-African trade

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<p>Jian Wen, China Railway Group SA Representative gives insight on how the 4th Industrial Revolution will change the way Africa develops its infrastructure to meet the demands of its growing population.</p>


How the 4th Industrial Revolution can be used to meet Africa’s infrastructure needs

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<p>Phumzile Langeni, CEO of the Afropulse Group outlines the role of South Africa in channelling investment into Africa at the 10th Brics summit 2018.</p>


Afropulse Group CEO Phumzile Langeni on what makes SA attractive to investors

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<p>Bhupesh Raseen, VP, Corporate Affairs at Jivi Mobile reiterates the importance of the rule of law in establishing trade deals within the Brics nations.</p>


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4th Industrial Revolution

How can South Africa harness technology in a way that helps fix its problems?

Will the Fourth Industrial Revolution leave women behind ?

biNu and MTN SA invent reverse billing concept to curb data costs for South Africans

World Bank: The future of jobs in Africa is secure

A.I. AgriBusiness is Good Business

Transnet’s Brian Monakali on disruption in the rail & heavy haul industry

Can the humanities prepare African students for the fourth industrial revolution?

Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on supporting women in business

Brics health ministers pledge to improve health systems

SADC plans to team up with Brics on infrastructure

Nhlanhla Nene speaks on why emerging economies are most at risk from trade wars

Rob Davies on how important Brics is to Africa

Why SA is an attractive investment destination for this Russian rail company

The role of Brics as driver for intra-African trade

How the 4th Industrial Revolution can be used to meet Africa’s infrastructure needs

Afropulse Group CEO Phumzile Langeni on what makes SA attractive to investors

Why the rule of law is important to Brics’ success – Jivi Mobile VP

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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