Courses and Disciplines taught at WBS:
Bruce Young teaches post-graduate courses in the Africa Energy Leadership Centre (AELC) as part of the Wits Business School (WBS) in the field of energy including the renewable energy transition (RET).
Other Teaching Experience:
Bruce started his career as a chemical engineering academic (1985-1991), teaching chemical engineering undergraduate courses as well as supervising postgraduate students. He then spent 30 years in the petrochemical industry with Sasol and recently joined WBS in April 2022
Research Interests:
1. Evidence-based technical and economic analysis relating to key technology choices in the renewable energy transition (RET) including green hydrogen versus direct electrification as an example.
2. Technical and economic analysis regarding how the commodity chemical business will transition as fossil fuels are phased out.
3. Critical techno-economic analysis of challenging and expensive emerging technology options such as direct air capture (DAC) and e-fuels to separate the hype from the facts.
Industry and Professional Experience:
Bruce spent 30 years at Sasol (1991-2021) in a wide variety of roles. He participated in the research, design, and commercialisation of several novel processes in the chemicals area (hexene, octene, and detergent alcohols), as well as the Oryx gas to liquids (GTL) plant in Qatar. In addition, he held management roles in technology management, technology licensing, business development, and group strategy. Bruce was involved in several mergers and acquisition (M&A) transactions including the acquisition and integration of Condea into Sasol in 2001 to 2004 and the sale of the cyanide business in 2021.
Community Engagement:
- Chair of the Rosebank Community Policing Forum
- Chair of the Rosebank Chess Club
- Member of the Saxonwold and Parkwood Residents Association (SAPRA)
- Mentor with Partners for Possibility providing mentoring and support to a school
Recent Media:
(https://ruminantpinkfriday.com/blog/) principal in a disadvantaged area