The University of the Free State Business School (UFSBS) was established in the late
1990s and is fully
accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and the Central and East European Management
Development Association (CEEMAN). Since its inception, the school has operated as a boutique business school focusing on personal attention to adult learners.
Late 2021, the UFSBS appointed a new Director, Dr Udesh Pillay. In conjunction with the change in leadership, the UFSBS is embarking on a new strategic journey, while maintaining the focus on its core business – in other words, its official academic
offerings. The strategic journey of the UFSBS has been underway for the past year, and significant time has been allocated to the recurriculation of programme offerings; decolonisation of the academic agenda; and orientating the UFSBS so that it makes
a larger practical contribution to the SME sector locally and nationally, especially in relation to business continuity and resilience in the wake of unforeseen externalities. These developments will ensure that the UFSBS remains a premier academic
institution and contributes to the success of South Africa and its people. It also ensures that the twin principles of academic excellence and social justice become mutually reinforcing.
The
UFSBS’s strategic direction for the next five years aligns neatly with the
Vision 130. By 2034 – when the university commemorates its 130th anniversary – the UFS wants to be recognised and acknowledged by peers and society
as a top-tier university in South Africa. Similarly, the UFSBS has aspirations to become a top-ten business school in SA over the next five years.
Given the history of South Africa, it is of utmost importance to empower people to add value, particularly in the field of business and management leadership. The UFSBS will contribute to building an ecosystem of entrepreneurialism, with the more traditional
academic programmes based upon the conventional practices of teaching and learning, research, and mentorship to be supplemented by ‘opportunity-driven initiatives’, such as executive education, consulting support, coaching, incubation
services, and the commercialisation of intellectual property.
Globally, the
Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has catalysed processes of digital transformation in business, to which the UFSBS will align
to ensure that students are equipped with the relevant knowledge and skills in a fast-changing, technology-enabled world. With the support of the
Centre for Business Dynamics (CBD) housed in the UFSBS; the establishment of the Small Business Academy (SBA) in early 2024 in the UFSBS; the soon-to-be-established High-Growth Business Incubator (in collaboration with
the NAS faculty); and with the process of strengthening relationships with the
Paradys Experimental Farm gaining traction, a differentiated medium has been created to nurture responsible, ethical, and socially conscious business leaders. The foundation then – to create the next generation
of business leaders and entrepreneurs to become agents of change and value co-creators for business and society – will thus have begun.
The UFSBS will align to ensure that students are equipped with relevant knowledge and skills in a fast-changing, technology-enabled world. – Dr Udesh Pillay.
The slogan, ‘BE WORTH MORE’, embodies what the UFSBS strives for, and is consistent with new developments in global discourses, which are rethinking and transforming many of the traditional dogmas that have informed the mandates of business
schools.
As a critical bridge between academia and business, the UFSBS is uniquely poised to reimagine a better and intelligent future that is data-informed, collaborative, innovative, and inclusive.