Partnering with the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) is paving the way for Stellenbosch University (SU) to achieve its goals of being a world-class African university on a mission to broaden access, pursue excellence and increase its social impact.

These were the words of Prof Wim de Villiers, SU's Rector and Vice-Chancellor at a ceremony held to announce a R30-million endowment that the University received from the Roads Agency. This endowment will continue to fund the SANRAL Chair in Pavement Engineering in SU's Civil Engineering Department and will help SANRAL to meet the broadening skills gap within the pavement engineering field.

Established in 2001 with the financial support of SANRAL, the academic programme of the Chair is committed to the development of human capital and capacity building in the field of pavement engineering (the study of the performance of road “surface” materials and structural considerations for road paving). The Chair also contributes to research that addresses the needs of the country’s road industry and the training of the next generation of pavement engineers.  

"We don't just invest in building roads and bridges but also in our communities,” said Mr Kobus van der Walt, Regional Manager SANRAL Western Region, who spoke on behalf of Mr Nazir Alli, SANRAL's Chief Executive Officer.

"The road agency’s educational reach goes even further. It launched a programme in 2008 offering to date, scholarships to 192 school learners and bursaries to 108 students at eight of South Africa’s leading universities. It also provides internships to engineering students to facilitate the attainment of their degrees and provide mentorship support to bursary holders with assistance on practical projects, if required, during their studies," explained Mr Van der Walt. 

"Civil Engineering now has an academic chair that will be sponsored sustainably – and we are deeply grateful for this investment in our academic programme," Prof De Villiers said. 

"The mobility of people and transportation of merchandise is crucial for generating economic growth and alleviating poverty in developing countries such as South Africa. Roads are the arteries of an economy, connecting farmers to local markets, providing commuter routes and communication networks, and linking countries with global markets. The SANRAL Chair supports socio-economic expansion through developing human capital (pavement engineers); and innovative, sustainable road building technologies for optimal infrastructure," he added.

The SANRAL Chair offers specialised postgraduate courses to students and practitioners in the roads industry to keep them abreast of new trends and developments in the global environment. It is also responsible for teaching at undergraduate level, creating awareness about pavement engineering among students and for managing the asphalt and pavement research laboratories. The research undertaken includes innovative material investigations and performance analysis, road rehabilitation and recycling technologies and sustainable road construction practices, numerical modelling and design systems for pavements, as well as appropriate seal and asphalt technology for developing areas through to freeways.

According to SU's Prof Kim Jenkins, incumbent of the SANRAL Chair, the postgraduate programme has gone from strength to strength. 

"Every year, between 10 and 15 new postgraduate students are registered, bringing the total number of current students to between 35 and 45 students. Seven doctoral and 51 Master's degrees have been awarded under the study leadership of the Chair. Two-thirds of students come from historically disadvantaged communities, reflecting both SANRAL’s and the institution’s commitment to diversity."