TOGETHER: MIA graduates cinch coveted Italy visit
Four MIA graduates were selected for a coveted trip to the Emilia Romagna region in Italy after they entered essays describing the gap in the automotive sectors of Gauteng and the region that could be resolved by a collaboration between them. Uma Krige, describes the experience.
A notice was posted for the TOGETHER project (Training Opportunities for GautEng youTH in Emilia Romagna) in January 2021 on the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering's MIA Reconnect Ulwazi site (an online student portal common to all years of study in the School), which, then fourth-year students, Avuyile Ndunge, Catia Borello, Sachin Kalyan and Uma Krige, thought this was interesting, they had nothing to lose, and sent through their CVs, cover letters and other documents. Several MIA Witsies were short-listed as part of a cohort of 25 graduates from 5 different universities in Gauteng to attend a series of online webinars that taught them all about the historical relations between Gauteng and Emilia Romagna and the automotive industries in both these municipalities. It got these young minds thinking: if we have historical relations and similar industries, could we not perhaps form a collaboration?
This was the exact purpose of the project: it was designed to promote partnerships between automotive sectors in these municipalities. The 25 graduates were then given a task: write an essay describing exactly what gap there is that could be resolved by a collaboration between these automotive sectors to win a week in the Emilia Romagna region in Italy.
The essays submitted by the four were then selected (from five available spots) to participate in a visit to Italy! There are 3 morals to this story:
- Check your Ulwazi notifications.
- MIA engineers are clearly not as bad at writing essays as we think.
- Be prepared to grab opportunities to take a chance at trying something new – something amazing might just come out of it.
On the 22nd of May, they embarked on this adventure to the home of Pasta, Pizza and, of course, Ferrari!
Apart from eating plenty of pizza, pasta and gelato, the graduates were able to get first-hand experience of engineering abroad. They were given tours of Nexion Corghi, a manufacturer of wheel and vehicle maintenance equipment; the Unindustria Digital Hub which incubates new ideas and promotes innovation in industry; Fratelli Menabò Company, a manufacturer of sports utility accessories for vehicles and Flexbimec Automotive Company, a manufacturer of hosing, reels, and pumps for oil and lubricants.
The graduates were also given a taste of the high-performance vehicle industry: they were shown the behind-the-scenes at Dallara academy, a manufacturer of chassis for many racing series including Formula-E, Formula-3, Formula-2 and many more. They were also invited to take part in the Motor-Valley Fest where they met with the likes of the CEOs of Ducati Motors, Lamborghini and Bugatti; Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer of Ferrari and even Horacio Pagani, Founder & Chief Designer at Pagani Automobili.
The University of UNIMORE, Muner gave the graduates a tour of their facilities and inspired them with details of all the projects they were working on including a student racing series car not too much unlike our Mini Baja car, simulations of engine combustion, battery systems for electric cars, and structural designs for lightweight chassis of high-performance vehicles. The university has programmes focusing on automotive design to support their local industry by supplying engineering graduates with the skills they need to continue the rich traditions of Italian automobile production that we now recognize and adore. The university of UNIMORE, Muner has an MOU with Wits University and the door for partnership is open.
Some cultural activities were also included in the programme, most notably the Reggio Emilia-South Africa solidarity sites and the Reggio Africa archives which gave insight into how the city of Reggio Emilia supported and acknowledged the struggle of the freedom fighters during the Apartheid era. There are deep ties between the city and our nation, and they even have a statue of Oliver Tambo, a welcome sight so far from home.
Overall, the graduates were taught the value of collaboration and how powerful it can be in creating a better future. The collaboration between industry, tertiary education and government are what gives this region the edge in innovation and excellence. The friendship between our nations contributed toward the creation of a democratic South Africa and the continuation of that alliance is what allowed the graduates to travel in 2022 and hopefully form prosperous new engineering partnerships between our own automotive sector in Gauteng and the sector in Emilia Romagna.