The launch of the Future Talent Centre on 31 January at the Digital Dome, housed in the University’s award-winning Science Centre, aims to utilise AI as a tool for inclusion, capability-building and social mobility.
The collaborative initiative with Odin, a division of Jendamark Automation, kicked off with an immersive “AI IS COMING” event, which welcomed families, learners and the public into a hands-on exploration of AI and its real-world applications.
Odin also introduced Omang, its AI Learning Companion designed specifically as a study buddy for high school learners, while visitors engaged with more than 20 AI-driven interactive technologies in the Odin Pl.ai Zone — from robotics and computer vision to intelligent learning tools.
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FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE: Nelson Mandela University’s Darelle van Greunen (left), and Ajit Gopalakrishnan, head of Odin Education at Jendamark Automation, at the launch of a new AI facility, the Future Talent Centre, at the University’s Digital Dome on 31 January.
For Mandela University’s Darelle van Greunen, Distinguished Professor of Information Technology, Director of the Centre for Community Technologies and Acting Head of the Science Centre, the Future Talent Centre represents far more than a technical facility.
“This initiative is rooted in the Science Centre’s mandate,” she explains. “It is about positioning AI within a public, community-embedded space where learning, curiosity and responsible innovation intersect.”
Through its partnership with Nelson Mandela University, Odin’s vision is to build a movement for AI readiness in the city, leading - not following – the best in the world, says Odin head Ajit Gopalakrishnan.
The Future Talent Centre aims to be a first of its kind, and collaborating with the University ensures ongoing sustainability for this movement. “Odin believes there is significant talent in our city that can be unlocked through safe exposure to state-of-the-art technologies,” he says.
Why the Science Centre is the right home for AI
The new facility’s location was both deliberate and symbolic, says Prof Van Greunen. Rather than isolating AI within a conventional academic or technical environment, the University has embedded it in a space designed to engage the public and demystify complex ideas.
“The Science Centre is a dynamic promise between the University, the broader community and society,” says Van Greunen. “It is where knowledge meets curiosity, and where innovation is connected to real social challenges.”
As a public-facing, interdisciplinary hub, the Science Centre brings together learners, educators, industry partners, researchers and communities under a shared banner of science for society. Its emphasis on experiential learning, interactive exhibitions and community engagement makes it an ideal environment for introducing AI in ways that are ethical, inclusive and grounded in everyday realities.
NEXT GENERATION: Visitors explore the exciting new Future Talent Centre at the University’s award-winning Science Centre in Gqeberha.
By situating the Future Talent Centre here, AI is framed not simply as a technical discipline, but as a powerful tool for addressing challenges across education, health, the environment and industry, says Prof Van Greunen.
“Embedding AI education within the Science Centre ensures that learners develop future-ready skills while remaining critically aware of the social impact of these technologies.”
From access to opportunity: addressing inequality through AI
Prof Van Greunen has long cautioned that without deliberate intervention, AI risks widening South Africa’s already stark educational inequalities. The Future Talent Centre, she argues, is designed to confront this challenge directly.
Leveraging an established space that already serves learners from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, the Centre will provide shared access to digital tools, AI-enabled technologies and learning environments that many schools and households cannot afford independently.
“In this context, AI learning shifts away from being elite or exclusionary,” she explains, “and becomes accessible, tangible and relevant — particularly for under-resourced communities.”
Crucially, the facility will also prioritise foundational digital and AI literacy, rather than assuming prior technical privilege. Its programmes are scaffolded, age-appropriate and contextually relevant, enabling learners with limited exposure to technology to participate meaningfully.
The focus, Van Greunen says, is on capability-building rather than mere exposure. By strengthening critical thinking, ethical awareness and problem-solving skills, the Centre works to prevent the deepening of existing educational and skills gaps.
At the same time, the facility forms part of a broader ecosystem that connects schools, university students, educators, industry and the public sector. These connections create pathways from early exposure to AI, through skills development and further study, to employment opportunities in the digital economy.
“In this way,” she says, “the Future Talent Centre positions AI as a public good and a lever for social mobility, rather than a force that entrenches inequality.”
A partnership for innovation, learning and social impact
The Future Talent Centre reflects a growing partnership between Nelson Mandela University and Odin Education, centred on advancing innovation in education, digital learning and community development, says Prof Van Greunen.
The collaboration spans several interconnected areas, including the co-design and delivery of school-based and community education programmes, the development of digital and experiential learning resources and the establishment of shared facilities such as those within the Science Centre.
Joint events, exhibitions and public engagement activities form a key part of the partnership, alongside collaborative research in education technology and digital transformation. The partnership also creates opportunities for student projects, internships and postgraduate research, while supporting capacity-building and skills development for educators, learners and community stakeholders.
As AI continues to reshape society, the University’s message is clear: the future of intelligent technology must be shared, contextualised and guided by values of equity, responsibility and service to society.
A national asset for public science and learning
The Future Talent Centre builds on the momentum of Nelson Mandela University’s state-of-the-art Science Centre, which opened in March 2024 and has since been recognised as one of the most sophisticated facilities of its kind in South Africa.
Situated on the Ocean Sciences Campus, the R54-million facility was funded through the Department of Higher Education and Training’s Infrastructure Efficiency Grant and is designed to democratise public access to science. Its centrepiece is a striking 15-metre digital dome — a fully immersive, 137-seater space that allows learners and visitors to visualise complex scientific concepts in engaging and accessible ways.
The Centre includes extensive exhibition areas, interactive teaching laboratories, digital learning spaces and facilities for workshops, conferences and transdisciplinary gatherings. It supports professional development for educators and offers programmes that enhance teaching strategies, curriculum development and immersive technology use across STEAM disciplines.
By hosting the Future Talent Centre within this environment, Nelson Mandela University has reinforced its commitment to using cutting-edge infrastructure not only for academic advancement, but for meaningful public engagement, says Prof Van Greunen.