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Exceptional UFS lecturer finishes second in global Accounting exam

23 February 2023 | Story Kekeletso Takang | Photo Supplied

Michelle de Lange, accredited Accounting Lecturer in the School of Accountancy at the University of the Free State (UFS), finished second in the world at the recent Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) Board Examination. With only one point between De Lange and the first candidate, she aced the challenging exam.

Having obtained fourth position in the world for the 2019 CIMA Gateway exam, De Lange was determined to outdo herself.

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is the world’s largest global professional management accounting body to offer training and qualification in management accountancy. As designation holders, members get to showcase their skills and experience to a global audience, while upholding professionalism and promoting continuous learning.

De Lange, who holds another professional accreditation from the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), coordinates the BCom Honours in Management Accounting programme, which is CIMA-aligned for postgraduate students. For De Lange, the greatest reward is the realisation of the impact she is making on her students through strategic vision.

Having worked in the private sector and later joining the UFS as an Assistant Director at Finance back in 2016, De Lange believed that something was missing; that there was more to give. In 2018 she moved to the School of Accountancy, taking on her new role as Lecturer. “I wanted to make a difference and be significant. This motivated my move to lecturing,” she says.

Her passion for teaching extends beyond the lecture hall. De Lange pays it forward by supporting students through a hands-on approach and ensuring that assessments are CIMA-aligned.

The School of Accountancy in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences is proud of De Lange and her achievements.

Becoming a CGMA requires discipline. De Lange is grateful for the support she received in preparation for the board exam, in particular from her husband Francois, who was “always understanding and encouraging”.

News Archive

UFS shines in MBA survey

2006-10-25

Here are Prof Tienie Crous (Dean: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the UFS) and Prof Helena van Zyl (Director of the UFS School of Management) with a copy of the Financial Mail.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

UFS shines in MBA survey
According to a recent survey published in the Financial Mail, the MBA programme presented by the School of Management at the University of the Free State (UFS) was rated jointly second best in the country by its graduates in terms of quality and standard.
The UFS MBA Programme was also rated fourth best by its graduates in terms of relevance to their business.

“I am overwhelmed and very proud that the School of Management, although we are a young school and have only been in existence for 7 (seven) years, has been rated so high by our graduandi. The School contributes in a very special way to much-needed business training in central South Africa,” said Prof Helena van Zyl, Director of the UFS School of Management.

“According to the survey, we have the lowest acceptance rate of applicants for the MBA programme, with only 33 students being accepted out of every 100 who apply. In general, we do not compromise on quality – as stated by our slogan: Be worth more. Given the quality of the programme, our MBA is very affordable – it offers real value for money,” said Prof van Zyl.

According to Prof van Zyl, the School of Management has had an increase the past 6 (six) months in enquiries from prospective students from Gauteng who are interested in studying the MBA programme. “They are even prepared to travel to Bloemfontein to attend classes,” she said.

This year Financial Mail moved away from an overall MBA ranking to a detailed consideration of subject area strengths for each business school in South Africa. The subject Strategy offered at the UFS School of Management was rated second in the country while the subject Economics also received the same rating.

“The School of Management is the flagship of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. It gives the UFS and this faculty a standing in corporate South Africa. This is largely due to Prof Helena van Zyl’s strategy to position the school and making it visible on a national level,” said Prof Tienie Crous, Dean: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the UFS.

According to Prof Crous, the UFS School of Management provides students with opportunities to obtain first-hand experience of how big and successful companies are managed. “For instance, our MBA students undertake an overseas study tour every year. This year they visited amongst others the headquarters of Airbus in Toulouse, France and next year they will be visiting the headquarters of Toyota and Yamaha in Japan,” said Prof Crous.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
24 October 2006

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