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Prof Hendri Kroukamp receives esteemed Donald C Stone Award

03 August 2021 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Sonia Small (Kaleidoscope Studios)

Prof Hendri Kroukamp, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Donald C Stone Award from the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA). The award pays tribute to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to IASIA through excellence in leadership and enhancing the image of the profession, as well as other distinguished service to the success of the organisation. The award followed a call for nominations and a recommendation process managed by the Stone Award Selection Committee, after which the Management Board endorsed the award to Prof Kroukamp for his contributions to the organisation and to the advancement of public administration in the world.

“I am humbled by the gesture; it is a real honour to receive the award. For me, this is a validation of the work that members of the organisation do to find solutions to the problems faced across all levels in the public sector,” says Prof Kroukamp.

A dedicated public servant, Donald C Stone was the founder of the American Public Works Association. He is popularly recognised for his contribution to the implementation of the Marshall Plan, organising the executive office of the President of the United States, and the formation of action-oriented professional associations that serve global society. In 1961, Prof Stone was the founding member of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration, an association of organisations and individuals whose activities and interests focus on education and the training of public administrators and managers. IASIA is an entity of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS).

More about Prof Kroukamp

Prof Kroukamp is currently Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the UFS (in 2018, he acted as Vice-Rector: Academic at the UFS, responsible for, inter alia, providing strategic leadership to the university and for the overall operational management of the academic portfolio of the university). He is a National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researcher in the field of public administration and management, and a member of various national and international associations, editorial boards, and management boards. Prof Kroukamp is married to Tertia, a clinical psychologist, and they have two children, Dinki (29 years) and Hendri (27 years).

News Archive

2010 World Cup: An opportunity for nation-building

2010-05-11

Pictured from the left, front are: Prof. Labuschagne and Prof. Cornelissen. Back: Prof. Kersting, Prof. Teuns Verschoor (Acting Senior Vice-Rector: UFS) and Dr Ralf Hermann (DAAD).
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe

“The 2010 FIFA World Cup creates a window of opportunity for nation-building in South Africa that could even surpass the opportunity created by the 1995 Rugby World Cup.”

This was according to Prof. Pieter Labuschagne from the University of South Africa, who was one of the three speakers during the lecture series on soccer that were recently presented by the Faculty of the Humanities at the University of the Free State (UFS), in conjunction with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), under the theme: Soccer and Nation Building.

Prof. Labuschagne delivered a paper on the topic, The 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa: Nation Building or White Apathy?, highlighting the critical issue of how sport in South Africa was still largely supported along racial lines.

“We are still enforcing the separateness of rugby as a sport for whites and soccer as a sport for blacks,” he said.

He said a high degree of animosity against soccer existed among whites because they felt rugby and cricket were being singled out by parliament as far as transformation was concerned. He said that could be the reason why a large number of South African whites still supported soccer teams from foreign countries instead of local Premier Soccer League teams.

“Bridging social context between different racial groups is still a major problem, even though patriotism is comparatively high in South Africa,” added Prof. Norbert Kersting from the University of Stellenbosch, who also presented a paper on World Cup 2010 and nation building from Germany to South Africa, drawing critical comparisons on issues of national pride and identity between the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2010 World Cup.

“Strong leadership is needed to utilize the opportunity provided by the 2010 World Cup to build national unity as former President Nelson Mandela did with the Rugby World Cup in 1995,” said Prof. Labuschagne.

Although acknowledging the power of sport as a unifying force, Prof. Scarlett Cornelissen, also from the University of Stellenbosch, said that, since 1995, the captivating power of sport had been used to achieve political aims and that the 2010 World Cup was no different.

Amongst the reasons she advanced for her argument were that the 2010 World Cup was meant to show the world that South Africa was a capable country; that the World Cup was meant to solidify South Africa’s “African Agenda” – the African Renaissance - and also to extend the idea of the Rainbow Nation; consolidate democracy; contribute to socio-economic development and legitimize the state.

“We should not place too much emphasis on the 2010 World Cup as a nation-building instrument,” she concluded.

She presented a paper on the topic Transforming the Nation? The political legacies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The aim of the lecture series was to inspire public debate on the social and cultural dimensions of soccer.

DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) is one of the world’s largest and most respected intermediary organisations in the field of international academic cooperation.
Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za
11 May 2010

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