From 21 to 23 November 2025, the Department of Mechanical, Bioresources and Biomedical Engineering in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) hosted the 4th International Conference on Applied Research and Engineering (ICARAE 2025) at the Unisa Science Campus.

ICARAE2025 delegates

The previous ICARAE was hosted by Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). The fourth instalment of this conference, hosted by Unisa, displayed tremendous growth in stature, attracting plenary speakers from the United Kingdom (UK), India, Nigeria, and many other regions, highlighting its international reach.

Prof Bhekie B Mamba, Executive Dean, CSET

Speaking at the opening of the session of the conference, Prof Bhekie Mamba, Executive Dean of CSET, said: "We applaud the Department of Mechanical, Bioresources and Biomedical Engineering through its conference chair, Professor Velaphi Msomi, for hosting a first-of-its-kind and all-inclusive conference in applied research at our Unisa Science campus. We look forward to hosting the next ICARAE in 2026 on a much larger scale, with multiple parallel sessions, and positioning it as a landmark event for showcasing research by postgraduate students, postdoctoral research fellows, and academic staff at an international level. We will begin with the preparations this year to ensure success and global participation."

The conference covered a range of applied research topics, including welding and joining techniques, materials characterisation, advanced materials processing, composite and nano-composite materials, sustainable manufacturing technologies, renewable and sustainable energies, surface engineering, water purification systems and future generation materials, among others.

Reflecting on the significance of the ICARAE, Msomi, chair of the conference, said: "The world is generally faced with common challenges, and in some parts of the world, these problems have already been addressed, while in others, solutions are still being sought. This necessitates a platform where researchers from all over can converge and share working formulas which can be tailor-made and alive to the realities faced in each country." He further shared his excitement and appreciation for the fact that full research papers presented at the conference will be published by the renowned open-access journal publisher, the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI).

Prof Velaphi Msomi, ICARAE conference chair

One of the notable moments during the conference was the sentiments shared by plenary speaker Prof Elango Natarajan from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Malaysia, in his talk on the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the materials science discipline. He emphasised how machine learning (ML) techniques are revolutionising the field through their ability to analyse large and complex material datasets, predict material properties with high accuracy, and accelerate the discovery and design of advanced materials. The integration of AI within the research disciplines is paving the way for faster innovation and smarter solutions in engineering and technology.

The conference ended on a high note with the presentation of the best oral presentation awards. These awards were presented to Prof Samuel Enibe from the University of Nigeria (first prize), Lerato Semetse from the University of Johannesburg (second prize) and Dr Sreedhar Naidu Doraswamy from Amararaja Energy & Mobility Limited in India (third prize). 

* By Dr Nozipho N Madzivha, Communication and Marketing Specialist (acting), College of Science, Engineering and Technology