The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (E&E) at Stellenbosch University (SU) welcomes its new Chair, Prof Japie Engelbrecht. With a passion for engineering, extensive experience in control systems for satellites, aircraft and autonomous vehicles, and a clear vision for the future, Prof Engelbrecht is set to build on the department’s strong foundation while embracing new opportunities.
In this Q&A, Prof Engelbrecht shares insights into his journey, goals for the department and thoughts on the evolving landscape of electrical and electronic engineering.
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Q: What led you to pursue a career in electrical and electronic engineering??
A: I have always been interested in mathematics, science and computer programming. My father, a physics professor at Nelson Mandela University, bought a second-hand ZX Spectrum personal computer when I was in primary school. It had 48k of memory and allowed me to write programmes in Basic. One school holiday, I attempted to create a Star Trek-inspired computer game but hit the ZX Spectrum’s memory limit. That was the end of my fledgling project!
In 1992, I attended the Engineering Winter School at SU in Standard 9 (now Grade 11). Initially drawn to chemical engineering, I changed my mind after experiencing the fascinating demonstrations at the E&E department and visiting the Houwteq facility, where South Africa was developing its own space satellite. My brother, Herman, who originally wanted to become an electronic engineer, still says I stole his idea – he eventually pursued the same path!
Q: What has been the highlight of your journey so far?
A: The highlight of my journey has been working on feedback control systems for satellites, aircraft, drones, autonomous vehicles and legged robots. During my master’s, I contributed to the attitude control system for SUNSat, South Africa’s first microsatellite. After university, I worked at SunSpace, developing small satellites for international clients. Returning to SU in 2008, I worked on flight control systems for Airbus and drones. Recently, I’ve been exploring control systems for legged robots, particularly hexapod robots.
Q: As the new Chair, what are your main goals for the Department?
A: The previous chair, Prof Herman Engelbrecht, created a pleasant and productive work environment in the E&E department. We also have an excellent team of lecturers, administrative staff, technical staff and assistants. My first goal for the near future is to establish new processes to manage the increased workload from the new student information systems and financial systems. My second goal is to engage more of our staff members in the departmental management to distribute the workload and to create some “squad depth” for succession planning.
Q: How do you plan to help students and staff in the Department grow and achieve their best?
A: To help the students in the department achieve their best, we fortunately already have an excellent team of lecturers and support staff to give them the best teaching and learning experience. We also have a team of lecturers, led by our undergraduate programme coordinator, Prof Arnold Rix, who assists students with registration and academic advice. To help our staff in the department, my plan is to encourage, empower and protect them so that they can focus on doing what they do best.
Q: What do you think are the most exciting areas in electrical and electronic engineering right now, and how can the Department prepare for these?
A: Artificial intelligence (AI), large language models and machine learning are undoubtedly some of the most exciting areas in electrical and electronic engineering right now. There is also an increasing demand for hardware and software systems that can handle and analyse large amounts of data. The department has already established a new Data Engineering focus area, and we have several excellent researchers who focus on AI and machine learning. Renewable energy and smart power grids are also very relevant topics in electrical and electronic engineering, especially given our current power generation and distribution challenges. We have a strong team of lecturers who focus on energy systems research.
Q: How do you see the Department working more closely with companies and other partners in the industry?
A: Our primary goal is to produce excellent engineers who can go and work for companies and other partners in industry after they graduate. We already have close ties with several engineering companies in the Western Cape and the rest of South Africa and use their feedback to inform our curriculum development and teaching and learning approach. We also support companies with contract research and consultation.
Q: What advice would you give to students who are interested in studying electrical and electronic engineering?
A: If you want to be an engineer, then you must love mathematics and science, and you must love solving problems. A strong background in software programming is also very helpful. Electrical and electronic engineering has a very rich curriculum that covers a variety of knowledge areas and skills, including digital electronics, analogue electronics, wireless communication, antennas, control systems for robots and autonomous vehicles, software that performs signal processing and image processing, and machine learning systems. E&E engineering is not limited to only hardware development but also includes mathematical modelling of systems and software development.
Q: Can you share something about yourself that most people don’t know, or tell us about a hobby or interest you enjoy outside of engineering?
A: My two brothers and I have a vast shared database of movie quotes from the 80’s in our heads which we randomly quote in response to verbal triggers. Outside of engineering, I really enjoy playing board games. We have a board games group who get together every Tuesday evening and play “heavy” board games like Terra Mystica, Innovation, Race for the Galaxy and Cthulhu Wars. I also enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy novels. My favourite authors include Iain M Banks and Terry Pratchett. My wife Madri is an occupational therapist, and we enjoy binge-watching series in the evenings and having lazy breakfasts at little cafés on Saturday mornings.
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With Prof Japie Engelbrecht at the helm, the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering is well-positioned to advance its academic excellence and industry engagement. His leadership, experience and passion for engineering will drive innovation and inspire the next generation of engineers.
