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Centre for Teaching and Learning engages students on asset management profession

03 November 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Supplied

SecureTheGrad Team — In front: Tshego Dichabe (CEO of Aeon Investment Management and UFS Alumni) In the back row from left are: Ludwig Esau, Ambroyse Johnson, Sello Mojapelo, Olebogeng Tlhong, Bonolo Mahlatsi, Anesu Manase, Evodia Mohoanyane (Assistant Director at CTL), Michelle Sibanda, and Bongi Ndlangisa.

The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at the University of the Free State (UFS), in partnership with Aeon Investment Management and the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, hosted a guest lecture focusing on asset management trends in South Africa and globally, as well as careers for specific disciplines in the faculty.

Students from the Centre for Accounting, the School of Financial Planning Law, and commerce fields flocked to the event, which was hosted in the Education Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus on 20 October 2022.

The guest lecture formed part of a series of webinars on asset management under the #SecureTheGrad initiative. The purpose of these engagements was to give UFS students access to industry giants in the asset management profession. Guests in this lecture included Fatima Vawda, the founder of the 27four Group, as well as Muitheri Wahome, an asset management expert.

Asset Management

“Asset managers gather savings for investment and buy public securities on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and unlisted securities, providing investors with opportunities and exposure to assets that they would not necessarily be able to access on their own,” Wahome highlighted. Vawda indicated that asset management has its roots in life insurance companies. “Life insurance companies were selling life insurance policies and then they had all these assets on their balance sheets, and they needed asset management teams to manage those assets,” she explained.

Asset Management Trends

A number of the students in the audience expressed an interest in asset management as a career path, and Vawda went on to showcase several industry trends that students needed to take note of prior to considering asset management as a career path. Firstly, the skill set needed to prosper in the asset management industry has changed over the years. In fact, the ability to code and a comprehensive knowledge of Python have become essential knowledge in the industry. Vawda said, “Without the ability to be analytic and use data cleverly, there is no room in this kind of industry for you.”

Careers in Financial Services

Wahome urged students to check out a number of other careers in financial services to set their sights on. She indicated that a career in investments can take different forms, such as mega pension funds, pricing analysts – due to the growing investments in private markets, as well as compliance professionals, as the demand for these is currently high in the industry.

Wahome further advised the students that, “as you start your careers, do not be in a rush to choose a specialisation, working with an array of people in different areas gives you enormous reach, as well as valuable perspective”.

Attending the guest lecture were from left Prof Francois Strydom (Senior Director at CTL); Frans Koning (Head of the Department of Actuarial and Mathematical Statistics Department); Prof Philippe Burger (Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences), and Evodia Mohoanyane (Assistant Director at CTL) and Dr Engela van Staden (Vice-Rector: Academic) (Photo: Supplied)

News Archive

Recognition to excellent researchers

2004-11-16

The University of the Free State will give recognition to excellent researchers at UFS on Tuesday 16 November 2004. “This recognition function will also serve as the first annual lecture in research excellence,” says Prof Frans Swanepoel, Director of Research Development Division at the UFS.

This is the first occasion of its kind in the UFS. It coincides with the university’s centenary celebrations. The recognition of excellent research shows the UFS’s commitment and innovative focus on research as one of its core functions,” says Prof. Swanepoel.

Recognition will be given in different categories. They are female researchers, black researchers, young researchers, C- and L-Rated researchers, researchers with significant research outputs, B-Rated researchers and distinguished professors in research.

The promotion of equity and development of research capacity of designated groups is one of the objectives of the UFS’s research strategy therefore the university is recognising the research achievements of 21 women and 16 black persons. Amongst these are Prof. Margaret Raftery (English and Classical Languages), Dr Liesl van As (Zoology and Entomology), Prof. Peter Mbati (head of the Qwaqwa campus) and Prof. Charles Ngwena (Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law).

The UFS is also recognising nine young researchers. They must hold a doctorate and have the potential to establish themselves as researchers within a five-year period based on their performance and productivity as researchers during their doctoral studies and/or early post-doctoral careers. Amongst them are Dr Esta van Heerden (Microbial Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) and Prof. André Jooste (Agricultural Economics).

Fifty-eight established researchers with a sustained recent record of productivity are receiving recognition in the C- and L-rated researchers’ category. Amongst them were Prof. Hennie van Coller (Afrikaans, Dutch, German and French) and Prof. Gert Erasmus (Animal- and Wildlife- and Grassland Sciences).

Prof. Francois Tolmie (New Testament) and Prof. Gina Joubert (Biostatistics) are two of the twelve researchers that are receiving recognition for having excelled in research outputs during recent years.

Nine researchers are acknowledged in the B-category for the international recognition they receive from their peers for the high quality and impact of their recent research outputs. Amongst them were Prof. Johan Grobbelaar (Plant Sciences) and Prof. Hendrik Swart (Physics). Prof. Grobbelaar focused in his research on limnology, algal biotechnology, plant stress and Prof. Swart focused on solid state physics and degradation mechanisms that are responsible for the degradation of field emission and TV displays.

Seven individuals are recognised for their exceptional achievements as researchers. Prof. Frederick Fourie, Rector, but previously in the Department of Economics, is recognised for his research in two policy areas: Political Economics, Government Finance and Fiscal Policy, and Industrial Economics, in particular analysis of the South African industrial structure and competition policy, where his research contributions played a key role in reforming South Africa’s competition policy.

Prof. Lodewyk Kock (Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) focuses in his research mainly on pure and oxidised edible oil where yeasts are used as a study model. He obtained national as well as international recognition for this research program.

The UFS is also awarding the S2A3 Bronze Medal to recognise a Master’s degree student who has delivered outstanding research in one of the sciences. Mr Pieter Taljaard and Ms Tania Venter are recognised in this category.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

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