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Celebrating 25 years of the UFS Business School

29 November 2024 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Tania Allan

Business School 25 Year Celebration — Some of the guests and staff members of the UFS Business School who attended the 25th anniversary celebration of the school.

To commemorate its 25^th anniversary, the Business School at the University of the Free State (UFS) held a celebratory event on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus on 22 November 2024.

Prof Frans Prinsloo, acting Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) at the UFS who attended the event, said, “The occasion is not just a celebration of the passing of time, but it’s also an opportunity for us to reflect on the values, achievements, and aspirations that have shaped the journey of the UFS Business School.” The event, which was regarded as a ‘momentous milestone’, was also attended by Prof Nicolene Barkhuizen, Director of the UFS Business School, Prof Frederick Fourie and Prof Bennie Anderson – founding members of the Business School, as well as Prof Tienie Crous and Prof Hendri Kroukamp, who are former deans of EMS.

A walk down memory lane

In his opening address, Prof Prinsloo reflected on the growth of the Business School over the past 25 years and highlighted some of the achievements of the staff that make up the Business School. However, the highlight of the event for many in the audience was the trip down memory lane by the founding members of the Business School as well as the former deans of the faculty.

In their address, Profs Fourie and Anderson shared some of their fondest memories and experiences as they worked towards putting together the Business School. For instance, Prof Fourie indicated that in order to ensure that the syllabus was of high quality, the founding members had to travel overseas and learn from several institutions, such as Harvard Business School.

In addition, Profs Fourie and Anderson spoke extensively about their pride in the Business Management and Leadership (BML) programme, offered by the Business School. According to Prof Fourie, the degree was the brainchild of Prof Anderson, who for several reasons wanted to consider working adults who might not have had experience in school learning. As such, they consider the BML programme as one of their most special achievements, given its impact. Furthermore, Prof Crous and Prof Kroukamp also shared their memories of being part of the institution, and specifically the Business School.

Forging ahead for another 25 years

In the pursuit of 25 more years, Prof Barkhuizen indicated that the school is aiming to achieve success with several projects. These include staff and student exchanges in order to optimise the experience of both stakeholders. “Even though we have a global reach, it is important for us to apply it locally,” she said. In addition, Prof Barkhuizen highlights that for the Business School to continue serving the needs of its unique student clientele, it needs to become more agile. As such, it will continuously reinvent its programmes with the input of its stakeholders. For instance, she indicated that the school is looking at implementing joint qualification offerings, among other things.

As the event ended, Prof Barkhuizen said that she was, “so proud of the progress made by the Business School; it has been a journey to get here, but this function today taught me to never give up hope and not to give up on one’s dreams”.

News Archive

Is Al-Qaeda operating in South Africa?

2014-09-29

Our Department of Political Studies and Governance recently hosted a seminar with investigative journalist De Wet Potgieter – author of the book, ‘Black Widow White Widow’.During the seminar, Potgieter reflected on the research he has conducted for the book, revealing the unsettling presence of Al-Qaeda in South Africa.

The ‘White Widow’ in the book’s title refers to Samantha Lewthwaite, a British woman who was found in South Africa with a fraudulent passport. She was later linked to the Westgate shopping mall attack which took place in Nairobi, Kenya on 21 September 2013. In this mass shooting at least 67 people died and over 175 people were wounded. The Islamist group al-Shabaab – which is also linked to Al-Qaeda – claimed responsibility for the incident.

In contrast, the ‘Black Widow’ is the disclosed identity of an Afrikaans-speaking self-styled spy, who after being widowed became a counter-terrorist operative.

Potgieter’s book divulges details of Al-Qaeda paramilitary and urban warfare training on a secluded farm in the Little Karoo and reveals details of the support they receive from various local extremist groups. Potgieter’s investigation spans across two years and suggests possible future attacks from, or on, South African soil.

“South Africa plays a role in the bigger picture for Al-Qaeda Islamic terrorism,” Potgieter said. “For instance, the Navy Seal team who killed Bin Laden found reports pointing to active Al-Qaeda/Islamist presence in South Africa. South Africans need to know we are under siege by a small, well-trained Al Qaeda terrorist cell. Yet, operations – of which I know, but cannot disclose much – are also underway to contain these matters,” Potgieter added.

Potgieter’s sources suggest that Al-Qaeda has been active in South Africa since the 2010 FIFA World Cup already. The South African government seems to turn a blind eye, though, despite CIA and MI6 requests and enquiries on the matter.

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