Dr. Steve Mackay is the founder of the Engineering Institute of Technology. He firmly believes in Nelson Mandela’s mantra that, “Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world.” His leadership has inspired EIT’s unique and distinctive approach to engineering education.

Since 2008 three core objectives define the essence of the institute:

Collaborating comprehensively with industry to ensure graduates are job-ready.
Employing platforms of learning to facilitate student accessibility and engagement.
Keeping the business of education student-centric.

Dr. Mackay has enjoyed a varied career in engineering, having worked in automation, data acquisition, instrumentation, data communications, and process control throughout Australia, Europe, Africa, and North America over the past 35 years. He has successfully pioneered the application of new technologies in Australia and overseas, installing industrial data communication systems and implementing live online education, (including remote laboratories), for engineering students worldwide. Dr. Mackay has been involved in a range of industries, including power stations, mining, mineral processing, oil/gas/petrochemical plants, and platforms. He has presented courses on industrial data communications, data acquisition, instrumentation, and process control to over 30,000 engineers and technicians worldwide for clients such as NASA, Rolls Royce, and BP. He has also co-authored and edited 25 engineering books that have been published across the world. Dr. Mackay is a Fellow of Engineers Australia with a license to practice as a Chemical, Mechanical, and Electrical Chartered Professional Engineer. As Dean of the Engineering Institute of Technology, Dr. Mackay leads the institute in providing microcredentials and engineering qualifications to over 2000 students per year from 140 countries. He has an unswerving focus on student outcomes and on excellence in education.

Engineering the Smart Grid

February 5, 2009 10:15 am
Dear colleagues 1. Just before launching into my somewhat brief consideration of smart grids please think about this: We are running a forum on smart grids in Melbourne, Australia, in September 2009, and we are looking for technical papers or suggestions. 2. On August 14, 2004, a power surge was...Read More

Your survey and our engineering tomorrow

January 28, 2009 10:14 am
Dear Colleagues Your survey I was intrigued by the economic survey that you (almost 1000 respondents) happily undertook last week. Interestingly enough, the results indicated that for slightly more than half of us (54%), things were the same or better. And for the other 46%, things were worse. What does...Read More

When engineering, always remember we are human beings

January 21, 2009 10:12 am
The Art of Support: EIT’s Learning Support Officers InformationCategory Education10 September 2020Written by: Quintus Potgieter The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is a unique global institute, delivering online engineering short courses, diplomas, and degrees. Students around the world log into EIT’s synchronous online virtual campus to network with other... Read...Read More

Back to engineering school, perhaps?

January 14, 2009 10:10 am
Dear colleagues 1. Back to school After being a few (or indeed many) years in the workforce, is it worth going back to school, or, for my British Commonwealth readers; engineering college or university? Especially in these recessionary economic times? This depends on several things, including; your industry, long-term career...Read More

A few engineering gifts for the New Year

January 7, 2009 10:09 am
Dear Colleagues I trust that you have had a great break over the past few weeks. I certainly had too much sea, wind and surf; but managed to improve my windsurfing skills. To kick the year off really well; we would like to give you a few gifts in appreciation...Read More

Engineering a great 2009

December 17, 2008 10:08 am
Dear Colleagues In our home, we celebrate a Scandinavian Christmas on the eve of the 24th December. Whatever your religion or culture may it be a time of peace and goodwill. Thanks so much for all your incredible support and feedback throughout the year. I appreciate this so much. Over...Read More

More hot air or a real wind of change?

December 10, 2008 10:07 am
The Art of Support: EIT’s Learning Support Officers InformationCategory Education10 September 2020Written by: Quintus Potgieter The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is a unique global institute, delivering online engineering short courses, diplomas, and degrees. Students around the world log into EIT’s synchronous online virtual campus to network with other... Read...Read More

Silly IT Mistakes and for you –first in best dressed - a complimentary 2009 Engineering Planner

December 3, 2008 10:06 am
Dear Colleagues 1. Well, a year has barreled past with bewildering speed and we again make our comprehensive 2009 Engineering Planner/Diary, free to the first 30 of you that request one. These books are full of useful engineering design formulae and tables with space available for each day’s notes. 2....Read More

Succession planning for engineers and technicians is a cussword in many companies

November 26, 2008 10:04 am
When I was a junior engineer in a large multinational company, I was always bemused by the succession planning for engineers and technicians. Potential for advancement up the technical ladder in your early twenties was great - from trades, technician or graduate engineer level all the way up to plant...Read More

Always aggressively build extraordinary value into your engineering – both real and perceived

November 24, 2008 10:03 am
Dear Colleagues A good engineering colleague, Terry Cousins, was scratching his head yesterday wondering how a day share trader could possibly add value by trading stocks on an hour-by-hour basis (and I am not referring to traders who buy a blue chip companies and invest for the long term). Terry...Read More

Commonsense Engineering Safety Tips when commissioning a Plant

November 19, 2008 10:02 am
Hello to you all, Steve is languishing in hospital having had a rather tatty, ruptured appendix removed. In the past you contributed to the following document: Commonsense Engineering Safety Tips When Commissioning a Plant The first paragraph from the foreword in the document is included here: Dear ColleaguesAs an old...Read More

Update your engineering safety tips

November 12, 2008 10:01 am
Hello to you all, Steve is languishing in hospital having had a rather tatty, ruptured appendix removed. In the past you contributed to the following document: Commonsense Engineering Safety Tips When Commissioning a Plant The first paragraph from the foreword in the document is included here: Dear Colleagues As an...Read More

Never lose yourself in the crowds – simply inject yourself with a RFID tag

November 6, 2008 10:00 am
I was somewhat bemused – actually horrified - at an innovative use of tagging at some nightclubs. A tiny RFID tag is apparently injected into a regular nightclubber’s arm to allow him/her to side-step the interminable queues – she/he merely has the tagged arm scanned! This also allows the nightclubber...Read More

Protection of your engineering IP – it is surprisingly valuable property

October 30, 2008 9:58 am
Dear colleagues Most of you will chortle quietly when it comes to protecting your intellectual property (IP). “What intellectual property?” you may think, with some exasperation. But you will be surprised at how often the simple ideas that you have developed over the years become intensely valuable property. IP represents...Read More

As engineering professionals we should be competent communicators

October 23, 2008 9:57 am
Perhaps a generalisation, but I believe as engineering professionals we tend to work independently, without much enthusiasm for communication - something regarded as the domain of politicians rather than of engineers or technician. It is, however, critical to our success. Charlene Tribelhorn, one of IDC's top instructors in this area,...Read More

Your plastic (engineering) brain

October 15, 2008 9:56 am
Dear Colleagues. We’ve all heard about the incredible unused capacity of the brain, but recent research I have been perusing is impressive and will have an enormous impact in our engineering worlds. Most scientists have thought the brain to be ‘hardwired’ or fixed – well, soon after birth anyway. However,...Read More

Engineers do not apply risk randomly

October 9, 2008 9:55 am
Dear Colleagues I must gratefully acknowledge Dave MacDonald, our engineering risk consultant (currently examining risks at an international airport), for detailed advice on risk engineering in this note. I have been horrified by the basic misunderstandings by our so-called financial experts on risk, especially concerning the fact that risk is...Read More

Financial Disasters and Engineering

October 2, 2008 9:54 am
The Art of Support: EIT’s Learning Support Officers InformationCategory Education10 September 2020Written by: Quintus Potgieter The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is a unique global institute, delivering online engineering short courses, diplomas, and degrees. Students around the world log into EIT’s synchronous online virtual campus to network with other... Read...Read More

Negotiating as engineers – win-win is the name of the game

September 24, 2008 9:53 am
1. These pieces that I write every week aim to pass on some tiny, condensed bit of information to engineering professionals. The amazing thing, however, is that I get far more learning passed back to me from your comments. Thank you. 2. Negotiating is always a thorny topic, but I...Read More

Don’t ever trust an expert

September 17, 2008 9:52 am
Dear Colleagues I am always intrigued by people who portray themselves as experts. Today we are all keenly aware of the carnage wrought on the financial markets by the so-called experts. Perhaps if someone had more aggressively questioned their assumptions, beliefs and actions (and presumably fat commissions), our world-wide financial...Read More

Design your own engineering career

September 11, 2008 9:51 am
1. Whilst on this Queensland roadshow, I have really appreciated those of you who have approached me to chat about your work and engineering lives. Contrary to some reports I am not lying around the various country town pubs guffawing over copious beers. Our charter flights generally arrive at the...Read More

Don't discard old technologies - just supercharge ‘em

September 3, 2008 9:49 am
Dear colleagues 1. Thanks very much for your comments on engineering burnout - I will publish these anon. And naturally thanks for your amazing support on the very successful Roadshow throughout Southern Africa. One issue that was highlighted is the terrific and growing shortage of good engineering professionals - throughout...Read More

Burnt out and dumped engineering professionals

August 21, 2008 9:47 am
Dear colleagues 1. Currently on the road in Southern Africa presenting a complimentary series of topics on lightning, process control, hazardous areas and new engineering learning technologies to generally great attendances. Thanks so much for the support. What really amuses (but stresses) me, is that although I try and prepare...Read More

Recession-proof engineering jobs

August 13, 2008 9:46 am
The Art of Support: EIT’s Learning Support Officers InformationCategory Education10 September 2020Written by: Quintus Potgieter The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is a unique global institute, delivering online engineering short courses, diplomas, and degrees. Students around the world log into EIT’s synchronous online virtual campus to network with other... Read...Read More

The World’s Largest Machine and Knights in Carbon Armour

August 6, 2008 9:45 am
Dear Colleagues Thanks so much for the stack of mail last week and great enthusiasm for downloading the videos we have been collecting. I get responses from people living far and wide - from the middle of the Kalahari (where is that you might exclaim) to the city slick environs...Read More

Many happy returns to NASA

July 30, 2008 9:44 am
Dear Colleagues Do you remember the heady days in ’69 when the first crackly radio messages were coming in from our first men on the moon? Perhaps you weren’t alive then. Despite being a child, I recall the absolute excitement at seeing the grainy images of Neil Armstrong plodding on...Read More

Sydney Harbour Bridge - an icon to Engineering and the Country

July 23, 2008 9:43 am
Dear colleagues 1.Last week, as I laboured up the myriad of ladders (admittedly secured with a harness), with the family, to the very top of the Sydney Harbour bridge, to that most magnificent view of the city and harbour, I considered some interesting facts: • Whilst it is not the longest...Read More

Unwanted Explosions in the Night

July 17, 2008 9:41 am
Dear Colleagues, Apologies for the break in our usual weekly offering, our captain, Steve Mackay is braving the madness in Sydney, for a well deserved break from the madness here at IDC Technologies. As a special consolation prize, visit our videos page on our website with the link below and...Read More

Examples of Great Engineering Mentor Experiences

July 9, 2008 9:41 am
The Art of Support: EIT’s Learning Support Officers InformationCategory Education10 September 2020Written by: Quintus Potgieter The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) is a unique global institute, delivering online engineering short courses, diplomas, and degrees. Students around the world log into EIT’s synchronous online virtual campus to network with other... Read...Read More

Fossil Fuels are almost done for

July 2, 2008 9:40 am
Dear Colleagues 1. This past month's persistent spike in oil prices and the horrendous damage fossil fuels are currently wreaking on both our environment and pockets and in the longer term, the economy, has prompted this today. We have depended on fossil fuels for over 200 years now and any...Read More