The NMMU Business School hosted a very successful national debate on ‘hydro fracking’ in the Karoo through its Strategic Conversations platform, which attracted significant media attention including SABC News, e.News and a Johannesburg-based independent film crew filming a documentary on the aforementioned issue. To see the highlights package of the debate click here.
The NMMU Business School’s Leadership Academy conducted a review and revision of the Management Development Programme (MDP) in November 2011.
Short Learning Programmes (SLPs) on NQF level 4 & 5 were presented to various SETAs for programme approval purposes. The Services SETA approved 32 SLPs. The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services (MERSETA) approved 4 SLPs. The Leadership Academy is awaiting approval of 1 SLP by the Transport SETA and 2 SLPs by the Education Training and Development SETA.
All block students (1st, 2nd and 3rd year MBA’s) visited the campus during Study Visit Week (6-11 February). The Graduate School accommodated some 400 students on campus (MBA, BBA & ABP) during the week, missing only the 27 DBA students. More than 140 first-year students participated in a team building session on the Second Avenue campus, nearby the site of the new Business School development, and a special function was hosted for all second-year block students.
John Bicheno (University of Wales) visited Prof K Pieterse and the Graduate School during November and December 2011. Bicheno presented a Master Class on Lean A3 Problem Solving to more than 20 members of the Lean Interest Group as well as a two-day Lean Workshop to more than 30 delegates. Several simulations and case studies were presented and discussed. Response was very positive and several people asked the School to run regular events on lean business practices.
Business School Director, Prof S Burgess, served as keynote speaker, consumer psychology and behaviour track chair and doctoral colloquium presenter for the “Shaping the Future of Research in Emerging Economies: Looking Ahead” conference in January, 2012. Hosted by the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow at their Noida Campus on the outskirts of Delhi, the conference was the first in India to focus on the topic of emerging markets research. Researchers from 26 countries presented at the conf
The NMMU Business School hosted live presentations of a series of the 2011 European Foundation for Management Development Practice Price presentations. Faculty, staff and executive education stakeholders attended the presentations at the Bird Street, George and East London campuses, which were webcast from Europe. The EFMD Practice Prize awards recognise collaborations between major international firms and leading global business schools, such as the fam
Arising from her DBA thesis, Dr Nyambura Koigi, has been nominated to a government review committee on state corporations in Kenya. Dr Koigi investigated the role of leadership, organisational culture (entrepreneurial and market-orientation), strategic management and corporate ethics on the organisational effectiveness of public enterprises in Kenya. Dr Koigi was supervised by Prof Cecil Arnolds.
The Leadership Academy has designed, developed and presented a new customised Management Talent Development Programme (MTDP) for Coca-Cola/SABCO. SABCO delegates from 11 African and Asian countries attended the course, which was very successful. Feedback received by the Business School included:
According to preliminary figures from the NMMU Finance Department, the NMMU Business School’s Leadership Academy increased its sales turnover 23% in 2011, despite tough trading conditions. Leadership Academy sales turnover has increased at a 39% compounded annual rate during the last three years.