ABOUT THE IEC
What is the IEC?
The Innovative Engineering Curriculum (IEC) is a collaborative, cross-institutional initiative redefining how engineering is taught. Driven by partnerships between South African and UK universities, the IEC focuses on aligning teaching with graduate attributes, real-world impact, and long-term student success.
Vision & Mission
In January 2025, 30 academics from diverse disciplines and institutions across South Africa joined the first national TTEE journey—united by a shared commitment to reimagining engineering education.
Vision
The Innovative Engineering Curriculum (IEC) initiative envisions a national transformation in engineering education through an integrated, future-focused approach. By fostering collaboration across South African institutions, the IEC seeks to establish a contextually relevant framework for curriculum innovation that strengthens engineering education and addresses shared challenges through collective action.
Mission
The mission of the IEC is threefold:
1) To develop a South African framework for implementing integrated curricula in engineering programs;
2) To identify feasible pilot opportunities and implementation strategies within faculties; and
3) To train academic staff as expert facilitators of active, integrated learning.
Through cross-institutional cooperation, the IEC promotes the exchange of experiences, reduces duplication of effort, and empowers staff to drive sustainable curricular reform.
Our Three-Phase Approach
The IEC operates in three interconnected phases to build a strong foundation for meaningful curriculum change.
Building the Framework
Establishing a national, context-aware framework for integrated engineering curricula through workshops, community-building, and shared foundational research.
Piloting Integration
Identifying departments and modules where integrated approaches can be piloted, and supporting them through tailored strategies for implementation and approval.
Developing Facilitators
Designing and delivering training programs to equip staff as expert facilitators of integrated learning, ensuring lasting impact across institutions.
How It All Fits Together
The IEC connects diverse higher education institutions, educators, industry partners and students through research-driven projects that feed into larger strategic goals. The diagram below shows how these elements interact.
Stories from the Field
Hear directly from our collaborators how the IEC is impacting students, teaching practices, and curriculum reform.
Integrated Theory and Practice
“It is inexpressible — the joy on the faces of these students when they really achieve something that they struggled with. I’ve never seen students cheer at the end of a lab practical.” — Prof. Johan Meyer
“The faculty are very supportive of lecturers trying out new things, trying to engage the students and make sure that learning is getting better over time.” — Prof. Robbie Potts
Impact of Professional Competencies
“We purposely challenge the students to think about their role as engineers in South Africa and challenge them with how the social and how the political or the economic or the environmental are actually critical questions.“ — Dr. Bruce Kloot
“Once they are employed, we can guarantee that they’ll be working in teams… with colleagues that may not be showing up in the way that they want.” — Prof. Lelanie Smith
Integrating the Workplace
“Integration is possible in any space, but it is a process and it requires reflection and refinement.” — Mrs. Cheryl Belford
“The development of the student should be a collaborative effort where communities, industry, and government work with academia towards producing holistically relevant and capable engineers.” — Engineers Without Borders (EWB)
Want to be Part of this Change?
Whether you’re an educator, researcher, or curriculum leader, your voice matters. Join the IEC community in shaping the future of engineering education—through collaboration, experimentation, and shared learning across South Africa.