Adaptation of the engineering curriculum in the age of industry 4.0

Abstract

With the rapid proliferation of Industry 4.0 across the globe there is an immediate need for institutes of higher learning to adapt their curriculums, especially in the fields of engineering and IT, in order to ensure relevance to both industry and society. Industry 4.0 is synonymous with cyber-physical systems, AI and the internet of things and requires a knowledgeable workforce that are both inter- and multi-disciplinary skilled. This paper proposes a framework for a three- or four-year electronic engineering degree that aligns itself with the needs of Industry 4.0. The framework is comprised of three core pillars and provides a roadmap for the adaptations required in the curriculum, practical work and competency components of the qualification. In addition to knowledge attributes we also discuss the notion of graduate attributes as well the assessment of these outcomes. A three-year bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering that applies this framework is currently being offered at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa.