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29 August 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba
Michelle de Lange
Michelle de Lange was placed fourth in the world in the Chartered Global Management Accountant exams.

A letter from the Vice-President of Examinations at the Association for International Certified Professional Accountants, Stephen Flatman, reads: “The Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) Examination Board has determined the highest achievers at this level and I am pleased to inform you that you have obtained fourth position in the world for the May 2019 Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Gateway Exam.” The letter was addressed to Michelle de Lange, lecturer at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) School of Accountancy.

This achievement in the tough Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) examination is a step in the right direction for De Lange who has been tasked with assisting in coordinating and presenting a new Financial Management qualification next year. “I want to be somewhere where I can make a difference, change a life, plant a dream in someone’s heart and help guide our future generations,” says De Lange. 

Taking local and global footsteps

Prof Frans Prinsloo, Director at the UFS School of Accountancy, has only praise for De Lange and says he looks forward to her influencing the climate and culture of academics. “It is noteworthy that we will be offering the BCom Honours in Financial Management in 2020 and all course content will be aligned to the CIMA Management Level outcomes in order to prepare students to write this exam next November. De Lange will be one of the lecturers on this programme,” Prof Prinsloo says. 

For the love of Accounting

“When I eventually qualified and started working as a financial manager of a large company in Bloemfontein, I realised just how much I loved the field of management accounting – blending leadership, cost and management accounting and strategic decision-making,” says De Lange. 
Although her passion for the field of accounting can be traced back to high school, it was the corporate world that re-ignited the strong spark. This passion has undoubtedly contributed to her international acclaim.

News Archive

Three minutes for research
2015-08-19

Sixty-three researchers, three minutes each. This is the Three-Minute-Thesis competition (3MT) for master’s and doctoral students countrywide, presented by the Postgraduate School at the University of the Free State.

For the first time, this international competition will be presented on a national level in South Africa, with students from more than ten of the most prominent universities in the country taking part. During the competition, each researcher has to give a presentation on his/her research in three minutes.

Mr Katleho Nyaile, the competition organiser, says the 3MT is part of the Postgraduate School’s initiative to highlight and to boost postgraduate research.

The 3MT competition originated at the University of Queensland, Australia. Since its inception in 2010, it has developed into an international trend. Currently, the 3MT is presented in Australia, the USA, and the UK.

For the competition, participants are given only three minutes to explain their research. In this short time, they have to explain not only the problem and the methodology, but also why this research is important. Participants are allowed to make use of only one piece of static imaging material for support.

“It is not only great fun, but also a learning opportunity for the researchers. The competition supports the capacity of the researchers to convey the essence of their theses effectively. This is something that researchers sometimes find very difficult.”

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