John Isaac

Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

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Timeline
About me
Research Group Leader: Advanced Internet of Things at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Education
- University of zambia
  1989 - 1994
  Meng electrical engineering
  Title: "Accessing applications from multiple file-servers in a Novell computer network".Received a special commendation from the university board of studies for the dissertation. The system developed during the research was actually used on the network for all students and staff as a transparent directory and authentication/authorisation service overlay.
- University of zambia
  1983 - 1988
  Beng electronics and telecommunications engineering
  Received with high merit.
- University of pretoria
  2002 - 2006
  Mba general and finance
  Graduated with distinction.
- University of the witwatersrand
  1994 - 2000
  Phd telecommunications
  De-registered due to extended absence from the country and institution.
Experience
- University of zambia
  Jan 1989 - Jun 1994
  Project engineer
  School of Engineer; consultancy R&D work related to mines; computer network administration and student teaching and support.
- Csir
  Apr 1998 - Apr 2005
  Ict researcher and development engineer
- Department of science and technology
  Jan 2003 - Jan 2003
  Deputy director: ict policy and liaison
- Csir, meraka institute
  Apr 2005 - Sept 2019
  Group focusses on cyber-physical systems (i.e. Wireless Sensor Networks, embedded systems, etc.) and its applications for mining and smart infrastructure mainly. Setup a joint R&D competence with industry and academia to address niche application areas of sensor and actuator networks that are strategically relevant to South Africa and generate significant opportunities to local businesses. Establishing the structure, systems and partnerships for South Africa to raise its ICT PhD graduation rate by an order of magnitude. Responsible for HCD strategy and operations of Meraka including: recruitment, setting remuneration levels, performance monitoring, etc. for around 60 PhD/masters studentships, 30 bursars and interns in the pipeline development programme annually. Multidisciplinary, multi-institutional programme management for largemission driven national initiatives. Responsible for project managing and delivering the broadband strategy and action plan for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development. R&D and advocacy related to the establishment of a huge multistakeholder partnership to bring affordable broadbandconnectivity to 450 million rural Africans in 50 countries using wireless mesh networks.
  - Research Group Leader: Embedded Intelligent Systems
    Sept 2016 - Sept 2019
  - Lead member - Emerging Innovation Area: Distributed Sensor Networks
    Aug 2010 - Aug 2016
  - Human Capital Development Manager
    Mar 2008 - Aug 2010
  - Manager: Research Development and Research Funding
    Nov 2006 - Feb 2008
  - Senior Engineer
    Apr 2005 - Oct 2006
- Council for scientific and industrial research (csir)
  Sept 2019 - now
  Research group leader: advanced internet of things
  The group's technology focus is on the full IoT suite from the sensors/actuators at the edge to the fog layer to the cloud platforms and applications there on. Our application focus is on mining and smart energy at present.
Licenses & Certifications
- Hybrid project management: do what works
  Linkedin
  Nov 2021
  View certificate