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.

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