Rare tech donation boosts hands-on learning and research at Wits

Wits University has received a rare donation of high-performance networking switches from Canadian tech firm Celestica.

The hardware, which is difficult to obtain due to its high cost and complex import regulations, was brought into the country through a special Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) process, which was made possible by a partnership with TecEx and the university’s Mathematical Sciences Support team.

“This contribution makes a significant difference in moving High-performance Computing (HPC) and HPC education in our organisation and our HPC Ecosystems partners across Africa forward,” says Senzo Mpungose, Projects and Operations Manager at Wits. The equipment is expected to significantly boost student training, research, and South Africa’s presence in international computing competitions.

The donation stems from a presentation given by the Wits Mathematical Sciences Support team at the SC23 conference in the United States in November 2023. The team highlighted their role in the HPC Ecosystems community – a collaborative network of research support teams from the SADC region and Central Africa who work to expand access to (HPC) in the global south.

Celestica, impressed by Wits’ regional impact and its efforts to grow HPC access in the global South, offered to donate high-end switches – equipment the university has historically struggled to afford.

While donations of servers are more common, switches remain rare. The equipment will be used in key areas, such as a networking course, where, for the first time, students will have access to real switches for hands-on learning; experimental clusters, where research teams can build isolated testing environments for projects; and for HPC training, where Wits’ student teams, which regularly perform well in the national CHPC, HPC and cybersecurity competition and have represented South Africa abroad, will have access to better training infrastructure.

The initiative was supported by Wits’ Fundraising and Legal offices, the director of Mathematical Sciences, along with US-based NGO STEM-Trek lead by Elizabeth Leake, which helps African research support technicians and support teams attend global conferences and secure cross-border collaboration.

“This is how global partnerships can create real, lasting change in African education,” says Mpungose.