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UFS Business School celebrates six visionary leaders who contributed to a legacy of excellence

13 March 2025 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Tanya Allen

Founders 2025 — Celebrating the legacy and achievements of the UFS Business School were, from the left, front: Prof Liezel Massyn, Dr Cornelie Crous; second row: Prof Hendri Kroukamp, Prof Frederick Fourie, Prof Niel Viljoen; third row: Prof Ben Anderson, Prof Tienie Crouse; back: Prof Philippe Burger and Prof Nicolene Barkhuizen.

During a special event held at the Business School on the Bloemfontein Campus on 10 March 2025, the University of the Free State (UFS) paid tribute to the founders and those who helped build the UFS Business School to its current standing.

Those recognised include Prof Frederick Fourie, Prof Niel Viljoen, Prof Helena van Zyl, Prof Tienie Crous, Prof Hendri Kroukamp, and Prof Ben Anderson.

Prof Liezel Massyn, Associate Professor and Programme Director of the Bachelor of Management Leadership (BML) programme in the UFS Business School, welcomed the group of guests. "I remember, as a young academic growing within the faculty, seeing the five leadership principles come to life in practice. These practices demonstrate that a true leader challenges the status quo, inspires a shared vision, empowers others to take action, and leads by example. We have seen this throughout the development and growth of the Business School,” she said.

UFS Business School: a place with heart

According to Prof Philippe Burger, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, it was more than a third of a century ago – with the establishment of the Centre for Management Development – that this dream of creating a business programme to support the business community through training and educating people started.

“The UFS Business School is the one business school where a whole career development opportunity is provided. One could come in with just a school qualification and do from a higher certificate to a bachelor's degree, a postgraduate diploma, an MBA, and ultimately even a PhD.”

He continued, “The BML degree offered is unique because it provides individuals in their thirties and forties – who may have missed out on higher education but are ready to step into middle management – the opportunity to get that educational background. It also provides a learning space for those pursuing a bachelor’s degree without having to sit among school leavers. It is something we treasure in the Business School,” he said.

Prof Burger believes the UFS Business School is a place with heart. “It's a place where we care about our students.”

Prof Nicolene Barkhuizen, Director of the UFS Business School, opened her speech with a quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.” “The best lessons come from the past,” she said, stating that it was a great privilege to celebrate the exceptional leaders who helped build the UFS Business School.

“Your legacy lies not only in what you have achieved, but in the inspiration you're leaving behind. Your contributions have set new standards of excellence, and your legacies will continue to inspire future generations.”

Her call to action was clear, “Honour the past, not just with admiration, but with action. The true essence of leadership is not only in remembering history but also making it.

Impressive reach of the Bachelor in Managerial Leadership

For former UFS Rector and Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Economics and Finance, Prof Frederick Fourie, establishing the Business School was an incredible achievement, despite scepticism about whether the Free State needed it without a strong corporate presence. “But we persevered and created something special that primarily served the needs of businesses in the Free State,” he said.

A key milestone for him was the introduction of the Bachelor of Managerial Leadership (BML) – the vision of Prof Ben Anderson, co-founder and Executive Director of the DaVinci Institute.

Prof Fourie reminisced on the lives that have been transformed – individuals who previously did not have the opportunity to earn a degree but now do, and who go on to become managers, senior managers, directors, and even government leaders. “This makes our Business School unique,” he said, expressing his pride in the MBA and the BML.

The qualification was developed in collaboration with DePaul University in Chicago, known for its expertise in adult learning.

Prof Anderson reflected on the collaborative effort that shaped the programme and highlighted the contributions of 27 corporates and industry representatives in its design, with an emphasis on a transdisciplinary approach that integrates knowledge from various fields to provide a broad and holistic view of managerial leadership. He also acknowledged the programme’s impressive reach, extending beyond South Africa into the broader African continent. He expressed pride in the impact of its graduates in both the public and private sectors.

For Prof Niel Viljoen, the founding director of the Business School and later Vice-Rector: Operations, the greatest highlight was the opportunity to make a lasting difference in people's lives. “It is a wonderful privilege, and we were able to do it for many years and are still doing it now.” He also recalled the first course presentations – from the Management Development Programme to the first MBA class. “It was full of jokes from morning till evening. We once forgot a lecture for the MBA! Moments like those stay with you, because there’s only one first time for everything.”

He also cherished the support from the university leadership, colleagues, and the Free State business community, all of whom played an important role in the school’s success.

Prof Tienie Crous, who became Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences in 1999, also recalled the agreement with DePaul University. As one of the first four participants in an MBA summer school there, he described how the experience broadened their perspectives and exposed them to a well-run business school. Inspired by this, they returned to teach classes themselves. The faculty also later sent senior colleagues to the United States for six weeks annually to gain industry insights.

Students making a difference

Prof Hendri Kroukamp, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences from 2012 to 2022, focused on defining the Business School’s niche alongside then-Director Prof Helena van Zyl. They positioned the school as a leading medium-sized institution, earning national recognition in 2016.

He said when he thinks of the Business School, the staff stand out – their professionalism and dedication to serving students. “These are not first-year students; they are adult learners. Adult learners require a completely different approach – you must, as a lecturer, ensure you are well-prepared and informed, because they will quickly pick up if you are not knowledgeable, and that can cost you credibility.”

He believes that the Business School does more than award qualifications. “We produce students who will make a difference in their communities and environments.”

Prof Helena van Zyl, the longest-serving director of the UFS Business School, was key in shaping it into a boutique business school with strong international ties. Under her leadership, the Business School achieved remarkable milestones, a testament to her impactful leadership. Beyond the UFS, she has also played an important role in the broader organisation of business schools in South Africa by leading in the promotion and advancement of the sector.

News Archive

Inaugural lecture: Prof Robert Bragg, Dept. of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology

2006-05-17

Attending the inaugural lecture were in front from the left Prof Robert Bragg (lecturer at the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) and Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor). At the back from the left were Prof James du Preez (Departmental Chairperson: Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) and Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences). Photo: Stephen Collett

A summary of an inaugural lecture delivered by Prof Robert Bragg at the University of the Free State:

CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS AVIAN DISEASES – LESSONS FOR MAN?

Prof Robert R Bragg
Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology
University of the Free State

“Many of the lessons learnt in disease control in poultry will have application on human medicine,” said Prof Robert Bragg, lecturer at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology during his inaugural lecture.

Prof Bragg said the development of vaccines remains the main stay of disease control in humans as well as in avian species. Disease control can not rely on vaccination alone and other disease-control options must be examined.

“With the increasing problems of antibiotic resistance, the use of disinfection and bio security are becoming more important,” he said.

“Avian influenza (AI) is an example of a disease which can spread from birds to humans. Hopefully this virus will not develop human to human transmission,” said Prof Bragg.

According to Prof Bragg, South Africa is not on the migration route of water birds, which are the main transmitters of AI. “This makes South Africa one of the countries less likely to get the disease,” he said.

If the AI virus does develop human to human transmission, it could make the 1918 flu pandemic pale into insignificance. During the 1918 flu pandemic, the virus had a mortality rate of only 3%, yet more than 50 million people died.

Although the AI virus has not developed human-to-human transmission, all human cases have been related to direct contact with infected birds. The mortality rate in humans who have contracted this virus is 67%.

“Apart from the obvious fears for the human population, this virus is a very serious poultry pathogen and can cause 100% mortality in poultry populations. Poultry meat and egg production is the staple protein source in most countries around the world. The virus is currently devastating the poultry industry world-wide,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg’s research activities on avian diseases started off with the investigation of diseases in poultry. “The average life cycle of a broiler chicken is 42 days. After this short time, they are slaughtered. As a result of the short generation time in poultry, one can observe changes in microbial populations as a result of the use of vaccines, antibiotics and disinfectants,” said Prof Bragg.

“Much of my research effort has been directed towards the control of infectious coryza in layers, which is caused by the bacterium Avibacterium paragallinarum. This disease is a type of sinusitis in the layer chickens and can cause a drop in egg product of up to 40%,” said Prof Bragg.

The vaccines used around the world in an attempt to control this disease are all inactivated vaccines. One of the most important points is the selection of the correct strains of the bacterium to use in the vaccine.

Prof Bragg established that in South Africa, there are four different serovars of the bacterium and one of these, the serovar C-3 strain, was believed to be unique to Southern Africa. He also recently discovered this serovar for the first time in Israel, thus indicating that this serovar might have a wider distribution than originally believed.

Vaccines used in this country did not contain this serovar. Prof Bragg established that the long term use of vaccines not containing the local South African strain resulted in a shift in the population distribution of the pathogen.

Prof Bragg’s research activities also include disease control in parrots and pigeons. “One of the main research projects in my group is on the disease in parrots caused by the circovirus Beak and Feather Disease virus. This virus causes serious problems in the parrot breeding industry in this country. This virus is also threatening the highly endangered and endemic Cape Parrot,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg’s research group is currently working on the development of a DNA vaccine which will assist in the control of the disease, not only in the parrot breeding industry, but also to help the highly endangered Cape Parrot in its battle for survival.

“Not all of our research efforts are directed towards infectious coryza or the Beak and Feather Disease virus. One of my Masters students is currently investigating the cell receptors involved in the binding of Newcastle Disease virus to cancerous cells and normal cells of humans. This work will also eventually lead to a possible treatment of cancer in humans and will assist with the development of a recombinant vaccine for Newcastle disease virus,” said Prof Bragg.

We are also currently investigating an “unknown” virus which causes disease problems in poultry in the Western Cape,” said Prof Bragg.

“Although disinfection has been extensively used in the poultry industry, it has only been done at the pre-placement stage. In other words, disinfectants are used before the birds are placed into the house. Once the birds are placed, all use of disinfectants stops,” said Prof Bragg.

“Disinfection and bio security can be seen as the ‘Cinderella’ of disease control in poultry. This is also true for human medicine. One just has to look at the high numbers of people who die from hospital-acquired infections to realise that disinfection is not a concept which is really clear in human health care,” said Prof Bragg.

Much research has been done in the control of diseases through vaccination and through the use of antibiotics. “These pillars of disease control are, however, starting to crumble and more effort is needed on disinfection and bio security,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg has been working in close co-operation with a chemical manufacturing company in Stellenbosch to develop a unique disinfectant which his highly effective yet not toxic to the birds.

As a result of this unique product, he has developed the continual disinfection program for use in poultry. In this program the disinfectant is used throughout the production cycle of the birds. It is also used to ensure that there is excellent pre-placement disinfection.

“The program is extensively used for the control of infectious diseases in the parrot-breeding industry in South Africa and the product has been registered in 15 countries around the world with registration in the USA in the final process,” said Prof Bragg.

“Although the problem of plasmid mediated resistance to disinfectants is starting to rear its ugly head, this has allowed for the opening of a new research field which my group will hopefully exploit in the near future,” he said.

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