The Department of Chemical Engineering introduced a Data Analytics focus area to its MEng programme, with the first intake already in 2024. The focus area will equip chemical engineers with the fundamentals of data science and enable them to apply newly developed methods to large, integrated industrial processes, increasing productivity and efficiency.
Prof Tobi Louw, programme leader and specialist in machine learning for process monitoring and control, explains the need for this new focus: “Our colleagues in the chemical processing industry recognised the value of data science to support their operations when optimising or troubleshooting processes. However, they soon realised that the ‘standard’ data science techniques were not well suited to the type of data typically generated by a chemical plant. They need chemical engineers with the fundamental understanding to adapt the methods to suit their needs.”
The curriculum, specific to the process industry, covers a variety of topics ranging from plantwide dynamics to applied machine learning, and more. By focusing on the fundamentals of machine learning, it encourages engineers to understand the methods they employ rather than implement black-box solutions.
The programme receives welcome support from industry, with Sasol, a chemicals and energy company, contributing financially. Stone Three, a company offering end-to-end digital solutions for heavy industries, contributes highly prized industrial experience through their specialists’ presentation of some modules.
To accommodate working engineers, the programme is offered in hybrid mode, full-time over two years or part-time over three years. Students may attend the eight taught modules’ block week in person on campus or remotely in real time. They work on assignments in their own time. Finally, students undertake a research project on a complex, relevant problem in process data analytics under the individualised supervision of an expert in the field.
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For further information, please contact Ms Mieke de Jager at postgradchem@sun.ac.za or visit this webpage for complete details.
