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01 February 2024
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Prof Prince Ngobeni, newly appointed Campus Principal of the UFS Qwaqwa Campus.
The University of the Free State (UFS) has appointed Prof Prince Ngobeni as Principal of the Qwaqwa Campus as from 1 February 2024.
Prof Ngobeni completed his first qualification in Analytical Chemistry at the then Technikon North-West before furthering his studies at the then Technikon Pretoria. He completed a DTech in Chemistry at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in 2003. In 2016, he enrolled for a Doctor of Business Administration in Higher Education at the University of Bath in England.
His lecturing career began at TUT in 1995 where he progressed from Head of Department: Chemistry in 2003 to Associate Dean: Faculty of Science in 2010, before being appointed as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at TUT in 2015 – a position he held until 2023. He also served as Interim Campus Rector of TUT’s Pretoria Campus from 2018 to 2020.
“With extensive years of academic leadership experience, Prof Ngobeni has the experience required to guide the Qwaqwa Campus towards the university’s Vision 130. The campus is already recognised as a leader in some of its unique research fields, and Prof Ngobeni’s strong research background will be valuable in this regard,” says Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS.
Prof Ngobeni is a member of several professional bodies in his field of expertise, including MatTEK at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the South African Chemical Institute (SACI), the Society for Atomic Spectroscopy, and the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP). During his career, he has also secured research funding for individual projects and international partnerships. Prof Ngobeni also initiated chemistry practical sessions for local schools and participated in the Technology Station in Chemicals project, which offers a wide range of services designed to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the chemical sector.
His substantial list of publications in journals and books covers a range of chemistry-related and managerial topics. He is also a well-versed presenter at local and international conferences.
“The Qwaqwa Campus has experienced major developments in recent years; I look forward to further contributing to the growth of the campus and to support the university in achieving its Vision 130,” says Prof Ngobeni.
Ethical leadership - the building block for success in business
2015-03-13
Dr Reuel Khoza |
As part of the professional development lecture series, the UFS Business School hosted Dr Reuel Khoza, Chairman of Aka Capital and Nedbank Group Limited, in a presentation to MBAs and the Bloemfontein business community on Leadership challenges of building an ethical organisation. In his presentation, Dr Khoza discussed Nedbank’s journey to success, its approach, and the interventions used to make its success a reality.
He brought to the fore one of the challenges which many companies in South Africa and around the world often face, that is, to change the perception of leadership in a large organisation from a profit-centred orientation to a people-centred one. This is a process that can take years to achieve.
Dr Khoza said “Ethical and well-governed organisations create trust with stakeholders … ethical leadership has a ripple effect on all other leaders at all levels in an organisation” In concluding his presentation, he reiterated that ethical leaders embrace humanity; it is not prescribed as a duty but is self-prescribed.
The professional development lecture series is held at the Business School on the Bloemfontein Campus, hosting prominent speakers on various business-related topics throughout the year.