Dr. Steve Mackay is the founder of the Engineering Institute of Technology. He firmly believes in Nelson Mandela’s mantra that, “Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world.” His leadership has inspired EIT’s unique and distinctive approach to engineering education.

Since 2008 three core objectives define the essence of the institute:

Collaborating comprehensively with industry to ensure graduates are job-ready.
Employing platforms of learning to facilitate student accessibility and engagement.
Keeping the business of education student-centric.

Dr. Mackay has enjoyed a varied career in engineering, having worked in automation, data acquisition, instrumentation, data communications, and process control throughout Australia, Europe, Africa, and North America over the past 35 years. He has successfully pioneered the application of new technologies in Australia and overseas, installing industrial data communication systems and implementing live online education, (including remote laboratories), for engineering students worldwide. Dr. Mackay has been involved in a range of industries, including power stations, mining, mineral processing, oil/gas/petrochemical plants, and platforms. He has presented courses on industrial data communications, data acquisition, instrumentation, and process control to over 30,000 engineers and technicians worldwide for clients such as NASA, Rolls Royce, and BP. He has also co-authored and edited 25 engineering books that have been published across the world. Dr. Mackay is a Fellow of Engineers Australia with a license to practice as a Chemical, Mechanical, and Electrical Chartered Professional Engineer. As Dean of the Engineering Institute of Technology, Dr. Mackay leads the institute in providing microcredentials and engineering qualifications to over 2000 students per year from 140 countries. He has an unswerving focus on student outcomes and on excellence in education.

AI in Engineering – No Immediate Solutions for Specific Projects

April 19, 2024 3:14 pm
One of the hottest shares at present is that of NVIDIA – a company prominent in the manufacturing of processors for use in AI – demonstrating that the AI hype has captured our imagination and is being enthusiastically embraced. It all began as a slow burn, but has been building...Read More

AI in IA: From Chatbots to Plant Chums and Hallucinations

May 29, 2023 7:38 pm
EIT Dean, Dr. Steve Mackay, discusses the true potential of AI in industrial automation and laments its impact on optimizing processes and predictive maintenance. With the current hype around AI (Artificial Intelligence), its impact on instrumentation, control, and industrial automation must be considered, according to Dr. Steve Mackay, the Dean...Read More

The Next Big Driver for Instrumentation and Control: The ESG Criteria in Engineering 

September 30, 2022 10:36 am
The set of standards known as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Criteria may be considered an unnecessary distraction by hardened instrumentation and control engineering professionals. There is, however, a tsunami of demand globally to demonstrate these principles in an organizational setting, and almost a third of all professionally managed assets...Read More

Dean’s Letter: Never Waste a Good Crisis in Engineering Education

December 10, 2021 8:33 am
Dear Colleagues, The Queen wryly spoke of an Annus Horribilis when referring to her familial strife some years back. 2021 has been similarly challenging for our global community; a year full of stops and starts - a disconcerting mingling of hope and despair. Some pundits have remarked that one should...Read More

Artificial Intelligence – A Considered Approach

August 25, 2021 2:42 pm
Dear Colleagues In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (and Machine Learning) has been touted as the panacea for process plants: using instrumentation to gather the data and automated systems to effect improvements to the operations. There have been huge advances and some great successes, but maintaining a healthy cynicism is essential....Read More

EIT graduate celebrates an ongoing life in engineering

September 11, 2020 8:32 am
Ray Crawshaw is an engineer who currently works in the mining industry in Australia. He is also an Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) alumnus, having studied our 52883WA - Advanced Diploma of Applied Electrical Engineering (Electrical System) Master of Engineering (Industrial Automation). Ray has spent his working life pursuing more...Read More

Another reason to take the stairs? Elevators in a pandemic

August 17, 2020 12:12 pm
It is estimated that in the United States alone, elevators travel up to 4.5 million miles every single day. The 31st of July is International Talk In An Elevator Day — it encourages people to engage with someone in an elevator, instead of looking down at their devices and ignoring...Read More

Segway ends production of its iconic two wheeler

August 17, 2020 11:40 am
It was hailed as the next giant leap for personal transportation. Now, it seems, the idea has become redundant. The Segway PT was a one-person electric vehicle that was brought to market in 2001 — with extreme hype and expectation. Nineteen years later, the self-balancing, two-wheeled personal transporter is being...Read More

Lighting the path forward for illumination engineers

August 17, 2020 11:01 am
Lighting design brings together art and science: requiring the designer to apply both creative, visually appealing, and effective spaces. Lighting professionals work in a variety of roles and project areas: malls, hospitals, residences, roads, tunnels, sports arenas, and more. The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is offering a 52856WA -...Read More

Energy sector engineering solutions published by EIT professionals

August 17, 2020 10:26 am
A lecturer and a postgraduate student from the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) recently virtually attended the 29th IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE2020) from the 17th to the 19th of July. ISIE focuses on advancements in knowledge, new methods, and technologies relevant to industrial electronics - along with...Read More

EIT graduate sets sights on becoming Botswana’s next best civil engineer

August 14, 2020 3:11 am
Phillippus Roedolf (Rudy) Botha is the Managing Director of Victory Business Ventures — a family-owned construction company. He is also an Engineering Institute of Technology alumnus, having completed our 52873WA - Advanced Diploma of Civil and Structural Engineering in 2020. With his career trajectory in mind, Rudy has been working...Read More

The time for future-proofing yourself and enhancing your skills is now

August 12, 2020 10:55 am
Lifelong learning is imperative for an engineer. Sometimes it is thought of as an informal process consisting of collecting small skills after university graduation and applying them to whatever the engineer's daily tasks are. While that may be true, continued professional development within the industry you are working in is...Read More

How to refine your study methods for online learning

July 20, 2020 11:11 am
Online learning suits self-starters and people who really want to learn, but it can be a challenge because students need to have discipline and self-motivation in establishing effective learning and study methods.  As we launch into a new financial year and, for many, a new academic semester, it is time...Read More

How EIT provides next-generation exam invigilation

July 20, 2020 10:30 am
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many education institutions to take entire campuses online almost overnight. Despite a massive growth and adoption in online education technology in recent years, many institutions struggled to translate their on-campus delivery methodology to an online environment and, in particular, were unprepared in how to ensure academic...Read More

How do engineers move an oil rig?

July 13, 2020 1:29 pm
How do engineers move something as heavy as decommissioned offshore oil rigs? How about moving two at the same time? Oil and gas rigs can weigh up to 50,000 tons, far outweighing what tugboats are capable of moving. Transporting monumental cargo out at sea is complex work that requires complex...Read More

Meet Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the two engineers who became Space X astronauts

July 7, 2020 7:34 am
On the 30th of May 2020, after four years of preparation, astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley lifted off at 3:22 p.m. EDT in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Launching from Cape Canaveral in Florida, the monumental flight marked the first time in history that NASA astronauts have launched from American...Read More

Meet EIT On-Campus Lecturer: Dr Yuanyuan Fan

June 23, 2020 11:53 am
A passionate electrical engineer and educator, Dr Yuanyuan Fan is a course coordinator and on-campus lecturer at EIT’s Perth campus in Australia, working to develop the future generation of industrial automation and electrical engineers. Dr Fan studied at the North China Electric Power University, earning her bachelor degree in 2010,...Read More

Automation to skyrocket post-pandemic

June 19, 2020 2:11 pm
Opportunities in industrial automation are expected to exponentially increase as the global pandemic highlights the need to speed up the adoption of automation to ensure productivity. The shift in trends from traditional techniques to digitized systems has revolutionized supply chain management. Robotics and automated processes are helping companies operate more...Read More

EIT committed to the further development of female engineers

June 12, 2020 11:50 am
The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is committed to encouraging women to join the engineering industry and supporting our students throughout their respective journeys. In 2017, the World Economic Forum released reported that while approximately 20% of engineering graduates are women, only 13% of the engineering workforce is female. While...Read More

Make a mark in the engineering world with an EIT Professional Doctor of Engineering

June 10, 2020 2:02 pm
The Engineering Institute of Technology will soon be rolling out a new flagship Professional Doctor of Engineering qualification for engineering professionals looking to contribute to the development of their specific engineering disciplines. We are proud to announce that Australia’s independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education, the...Read More

Road construction fundamentals are being revolutionized

June 10, 2020 1:43 pm
Roads are an essential part of everyday life and crucial to economic development. Transportation networks require well-maintained roads; however, the maintenance of roads is a resource-heavy job. It is a costly exercise for local governments to constantly repair roads, and therefore, the sector is primed for innovation. The techniques involved...Read More

Earn an Industry-Oriented Higher Education Engineering Certificate in Six Months

May 21, 2020 4:23 pm
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Federal Government has announced a relief package, which means they are funding six-month higher education certificates in ‘priority areas’ – one of which is engineering. We have been busy designing industry-oriented online undergraduate certificates and graduate certificates to help those already working...Read More

Upskilling for the Future of Work

May 21, 2020 12:17 pm
The ‘future of work’ is being shaped by a powerful force; the growing adoption of online technologies and artificial intelligence in the workplace. This year has seen the world as we once knew it change rapidly, with the majority of the globe going into an unprecedented lockdown due to the...Read More

A dream, hard work and a little support

May 15, 2020 8:46 am
As a passionate educator, EIT’s Dean, Dr Steve Mackay, never underestimates the benefits of a good quality education. When a career path and an individual are aligned he knows the sky is the limit.  Engineering and technology are the focus of EIT, but so too are those who yearn to...Read More

EIT internal synergy and mentorship the key to success

May 7, 2020 1:56 pm
It is said that iron sharpens iron. At the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT), that statement rings true every day. There is an ecosystem of managers, learning support officers, and course advisors who work in tandem to ensure students enrolled in our programs are on their way to achieving their...Read More

How Drones Are Saving Lives in Australian Oceans

April 30, 2020 11:20 am
Australia is well-known for its beautiful beaches, with over one million tourists making their way to the beach each year. From national surf competitions to school swimming lessons, Australian beach culture is a huge part of the country’s national identity.   However, there is one significant challenge that comes with...Read More

Meet EIT Lecturer Dr Arti Siddhpura

April 30, 2020 10:29 am
Dr Arti Siddhpura is one of EIT’s on-campus lecturers and is a decorated academic, holding a Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Australia. Dr Siddhpura’s engineering journey began in 1996 at the Government Polytechnic University in India, where she earned in Diploma in Mechanical Engineering....Read More

Keeping safe online during the COVID-19 crisis

April 24, 2020 9:51 am
The threat of the coronavirus pandemic has sent most of the world into lockdown. As a result, many of us are relying on the Internet to stay connected. As schools and workplaces continue to encourage working from home, an increasing amount of sensitive and personal data is making its way...Read More

Breaking the mold and ending engineering stereotypes

April 9, 2020 3:52 pm
 In the world of education and training, stereotypes can create negative perceptions around particular lines of study or work. The Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) fields are rife with stereotypes that can dissuade young people from taking an interest in these industries, even though these jobs are becoming increasingly essential....Read More

Six Key Ideas to Improve Your Online Education and Training in Engineering, Technology and The Sciences

April 6, 2020 12:44 pm
The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) has been providing high quality live, interactive online education and training for over 15 years. EIT’s offerings span the two education sectors, from vocational diplomas through to bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering. These qualifications are accredited by the Australian Government, and some of these programs...Read More

EIT lecturer 3D prints protective equipment to combat COVID-19 in the Phillipines

March 31, 2020 1:45 pm
Human ingenuity, and hobbyists — that’s what the world needs right now, aside from the medical professionals who are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.  As hospitals around the world rush to take stock of the medical equipment they have at their disposal, engineers and engineering companies have...Read More

Build a Learning Organisation Today

March 24, 2020 8:01 am
Dear Colleagues, Dr Jack Welch, a feisty chemical engineer,  died earlier this month. You may not  know who he was as he disappeared from the corporate scene a decade or so ago. He was the driven CEO of General Electric (or GE) – highly successful in growing the company to...Read More

Solar power in mining surges forward in Australia

March 10, 2020 8:59 am
Reducing emissions in the mining sector is one of the key focuses for mining companies globally. The recent bushfire events in Australia have sparked conversation around how greatly fossil fuel emissions have affected climate change. The changing climate, experts say, is one of the reasons for the recent bushfire crisis...Read More

EIT tours southern Africa to highlight the changing trends in engineering

March 10, 2020 8:48 am
EIT recently embarked on a roadshow through southern Africa, covering hot trends in engineering, job prospects across the engineering disciplines, and troubleshooting tips. Dean of Engineering Dr. Steve Mackay and Edwina Ross presented an interactive seminar on ‘engineering as a noble profession’ to aspiring engineers and industry professionals in South...Read More

Celebrating women in engineering on International Women’s Day

March 6, 2020 2:48 pm
March 8th marks International Women's Day 2020, a global day that celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. We wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the valuable contributions from women at the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) and the movements they are making to break through...Read More

Flexi-batteries ready for powering the future

February 13, 2020 7:54 am
Transformative technologies demand flexibility in the modern era. Consumers demand that technologies be smaller, thinner, wearable, fireproof, bendable, etcetera.  On top of all that, the battery still needs to hold a charge. In Busan, South Korea, a company named Jenax has been hard at work at revolutionizing the lithium-ion battery....Read More

Surviving retrenchment: Tips for engineers

February 11, 2020 7:57 am
Legal Wise, a law institute in South Africa, defines retrenchment quite aptly, “Retrenchment is a form of dismissal due to no fault of the employee, it is a process whereby the employer reviews its business needs in order to increase profits or limit losses, which leads to reducing its employees.”...Read More

Getting Your Sea Legs: South Africa’s First Female Chief Engineer in Fishing Industry shares her journey

February 10, 2020 2:47 pm
Lucinda Krige is a South African inspiration. She is a qualified Marine Engineer Officer who, since 2003, has been working for renowned seafood processing company Sea Harvest. She currently works as a HR Business Partner in Learning and Development at Sea Harvest. She was the first woman to qualify as...Read More

Can we get 90% of the globe connected to the internet by 2050?

February 6, 2020 9:36 am
While the Engineering Institute of Technology has campuses in Perth, Western Australia, and Melbourne, Victoria, we predominantly run as an online institute that sees thousands of students logging in and out every day. For students who are part of our online learning cohort, internet connectivity is imperative. We are proud...Read More

EIT dedicated to training students for the Decade of the Artisan

February 5, 2020 8:35 am
South Africa needs more medium-skilled workers. The youth graduate unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2019, according to Stats South Africa, was 31 percent. The hope is that the first quarter of 2020 may see improvement. The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Blade Nzimande, is encouraging matriculants...Read More

Australia’s bushfires leave engineers with much to work with

February 4, 2020 2:29 pm
Australia’s fire season has been the most damaging in living memory. The skies have been tinged red by the earth-scorching fires that have burned up about 12 million acres of land in Australia. The bushfires, which are usually observed between October to March, have been raging since September 2019. They...Read More

Coronavirus, Virtual Collaboration and Online Learning

January 28, 2020 2:17 pm
The Art of Support: EIT’s Learning Support Officers InformationCategory Education10 September 2020Written by: Quintus Potgieter The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is a unique global institute, delivering online engineering short courses, diplomas, and degrees. Students around the world log into EIT’s synchronous online virtual campus to network with other... Read...Read More

Rising to the automation challenge in 2020

January 24, 2020 3:14 pm
Autonomous and efficient data-collecting systems will continue to revolutionize engineering industries throughout 2020. The development of these cyber-physical systems is what is enabling the data and sensor-driven efficiency of the fourth industrial revolution forward. The most cutting-edge of industrial setups in the world are combining cyber-physical systems with large amounts...Read More

Will 2020 be the year of renewables for consumers in South Africa?

January 10, 2020 8:10 am
Tesla has officially announced that its lithium-ion home batteries, named the Powerwall, will be available in South Africa in 2020. They have sent surveys to prospective South African customers inquiring about their home energy usage. The questions the company put to the eager respondents were: Do you have a Solar...Read More

Engineers look to lowering emissions in aviation

January 8, 2020 9:52 am
Air travel is a major contributor to CO2 emissions and is attracting the ire of environmentalist movements who are campaigning for the industry to look to alternative methods of powering aircraft. Airbus is looking to nature for inspiration to minimize the carbon footprint their planes create around the world. They...Read More

The Next Decade in Engineering Innovation is Upon Us

January 7, 2020 3:26 pm
It is no exaggeration to say that technology has taken a giant leap forward in the last decade. In this decade, Uber revolutionized taxi industries around the globe, 4G networks brought fast internet to the masses, and Whatsapp and Instagram appeared on the world stage. Who do we have to...Read More

Four Immutable Laws of Engineering

December 17, 2019 3:40 pm
The Art of Support: EIT’s Learning Support Officers InformationCategory Education10 September 2020Written by: Quintus Potgieter The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is a unique global institute, delivering online engineering short courses, diplomas, and degrees. Students around the world log into EIT’s synchronous online virtual campus to network with other... Read...Read More

Simulation, gamification and online learning revolutionizing education and training

December 12, 2019 2:44 pm
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has had a significant impact on the worlds of education and work. The advent of the internet and its subsequent development over the last three decades has led to immense changes and has produced incredible technological leaps. The interconnectivity of internet-connected technologies has dually given rise...Read More

World Engineering Day officially set for 2020 debut

December 12, 2019 1:44 pm
Starting from 2020, 4 March will now be the World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development as designated by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO). Previously known as ‘Engineer’s Day’, the celebration was formerly observed in several counties on various dates throughout the year. The announcement was made on November...Read More

EIT attends TEQSA’s fourth annual conference

December 12, 2019 9:12 am
Just after returning from presenting a round of seminars in Asia (in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka), Steve Mackay landed in Melbourne on the evening of the 26th November, with three colleagues, for the TEQSA Conference. The theme at the conference this year was Partnerships driving Quality – a topic...Read More