UCT GSB goes on show across Africa

The open days will be held in several African countries and will give students an opportunity to find out more about the programmes on offer at the GSB.

The school is widely acclaimed for its Africa-centric focus and attracts students from all over the country. And according to the GSB director, professor Walter Baets, the school prides itself in specializing in emerging markets.

"The GSB wants to raise the profile of emerging market business schools as centres of excellence, whilst also focusing on the specific skills needed to take on the challenges of today's complex business world," Baets says.

The school is well placed to achieve this, it is one of just 59 business schools worldwide to be triple-crown accredited, boasting accreditation from the world's top three accreditation bodies: the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the European Foundation for Management Development, which also awards the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) accreditation.

"This places business education in South Africa and indeed in Africa in a whole different league," Baets says.

He notes that there are 14,000 business schools competing for the same accreditation.

"We have been placed firmly on the map on a global level. But our open days also give us the opportunity to let potential students get to know us locally," Baets says.

"We don't need Harvard in Africa"

Baets, who firmly believes in creating an Africa-appropriate centre of learning says: "We don't need Harvard in Africa. We need an African centre of learning for African business and thought leaders, with a focus on building Africa as a global contender in business."

The GSB's MBA programme has been ranked in the Financial Times' Top 100 and also topped the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report, which rates schools from around the world based on MBA employers and recruiters views. It is widely acclaimed for its combination of Africa issues and international scope.

"Research by the Association of MBAs demonstrates that the MBA continues to open doors for graduates in terms of career growth internationally. At the same time there is a growing demand for leaders who can manage sustainably for the benefit of a wider pool of stakeholders - not just shareholders - and to use the power of business and business thinking to tackle emerging market challenges like education and health," Baets says.

The admission information session will showcase the MBA, the Executive MBA, the MCom Development Finance, the Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and the Associate in Management. All degrees are offered on a modular basis, making it easier for students to work and study at the same time. The MBA is also offered full-time.

Baets says the AIM programme is particularly useful to aspiring leaders without previous tertiary education. It provides graduates with a certificate from the Faculty of Commerce at UCT and will enable them to study further.

"We are eager to increase the number of African students at the school. We believe they will bring additional vitality to our emerging market focus," Baets says.