New team elected to head up SABSA

Professor Tommy du Plessis, director of the Potchefstroom Business School was elected president. Professor John Powell, director of the University of Stellenbosch Business School; Brett Cousins, director of Regenesys Business School; and Cobus Oosthuizen, Dean of the Faculty of Management & Leadership at Milpark Business School take up the positions of vice-presidents.

"South African business schools face a number of challenges, particularly around the classification of the MBA, and we look forward to strengthening the voice of the business education sector in the national discourse," said Professor du Plessis.

Proposal to the minister

He said that SABSA put together a formal proposal outlining the strengths of the MBA as a Masters Degree and its contribution to the South African economy, and presented it to the Minister of Higher Education and Training earlier in the year.

"We are confident that the proposal will still be accepted by the Minister this year," he added.

Professor du Plessis said that the South African MBA is continually evolving to ensure that it remains relevant in a society marked by global, societal and technological sea changes and had been accepted internationally as a Masters Degree, despite not fitting neatly within the education hierarchy.

"The challenges of the current business landscape require leaders and managers to have a multidiscipline skill-set, which they can use in public, private and parastatal organisations," he explained. "The multifaceted nature of the MBA and its orientation towards integrating the cognitive, emotional and physical aspects of leadership therefore form an ideal incubator for future leaders."

National and international demands

Professor du Plessis said that when it comes to business education, South African business schools need to reconcile national demands with international demands. "These are frequently in conflict, but what Africa needs is home-grown business education, not cookie-cutter programmes aimed at developed industrial economies."

He explained that new approaches were needed in business education to mobilise the strengths of South African business people and students in dealing with issues such as transformation.

He added that SABSA, which represents 18 of the top business schools, aims not only to improve the recognition of the organisation as a representative of SA business schools with government and regulatory bodies, but also to strengthen ties with the business fraternity. He ended: "The new SABSA executive also looks forward to establishing meaningful connections with other BRICS countries in the year ahead."