The School of Management, Information Technology, and Governance (SMIG) held its inaugural Academic Advisory Board meeting on 10 July 2023 at the Westville campus. The focus of the meeting was on bridging the gap between academia and industry.
This exciting development underscored the importance of academia, industry, government and business collaboration to promote and enhance the relevance of academic programmes and attune them to the labour market needs.
The meeting comes soon after the implementation of the UKZN 10-year Strategic Plan (2023-2032) whose strategic thrust among others provides a framework for excellent teaching and learning, excellent student experience, high-impact research, innovation and entrepreneurship and high-impact stakeholder and community engagement.
The School Academic Advisory Board of SMIG is broad-based comprising twelve internal and 14 external experts drawn from industry, business, academia, and government in the following disciplinary areas:
Human Resources Management: Ms Sinqobile Khuluse, Head of Human Resources at Sandock Austral Shipyards (Pty) Ltd; and Ms Alishia Francyne Mudaly, Chief of Staff, IBV Global (London, Dubai, South Africa, Mauritius and Switzerland).
Information Systems and Technology: Mr Inban Neil Naicker, Training Director at Bright Idea Projects c.c. T/A SmartProjX; and Mr Raniel Misra, a partner at Technology Assurance KPMG.
Management and Entrepreneurship: Dr Viren Chunilall, CSIR Research Group Leader, and Ms Ntsiki Mkhize Founder and Chief Social Entrepreneur, MentHer-a global mentorship network supporting female social entrepreneurs.
Public Governance: Dr Collin Pillay, Chief Policy Analyst/Programme Manager at eThekwini Municipality, and Dr Rejoice Nomusa Ndlela, Director-Policy and Research, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA).
Supply Chain and Marketing: Mr Iain Reynard, Director Lead Logistics (Pty); Mr Matthew Sean Naude, SA Warehouse Manager at UNILEVER, and Ms Michelle Raw, Chief Financial Officer, G.U.D. Holdings (Pty) Ltd (Automotive Component Manufacturing business).
In attendance was visiting professor in the School Professor Peter Lewa, whose expertise in strategic management design, monitoring and evaluation was acknowledged.
Speaking at the Board meeting the School’s Dean and Head, Professor Stephen Mutula, said: ‘Members of the Advisory Board, especially those from the external environment, will be expected to help the School leverage the resources and goodwill of our strategic partners including alumni to mobilise the much needed third stream income, market the School’s academic programmes, provide opportunities for integrated work and service learning, and advise on curriculum reform that would enable our graduate to become job ready.’
Mutula also emphasised professionalisation of academic programmes, infusion of 4.0 in the School’s curricular milieu, building the School brand and staking the Institution’s niche in the competitive Higher Education environment nationally, regionally and internationally.
The meeting acknowledged the diverse skills and expertise of Board members, who are drawn from various sectors of the economy with a wealth of knowledge and experience, that would be vital in providing valuable insights and guidance in the academic project of the School. Their expertise will play a crucial role in shaping the School’s programmes to meet the ever-evolving needs of the job market.
‘The School Advisory Board is a significant step towards fostering greater collaboration between academia and real-world business practices. The Board will help the School identify critical areas in the labour market where the School needs to undertake action and collaborative research to come up with solutions to problems like unemployment,’ said Mutula.
As the board members take their seats, their invaluable insights and experiences are expected to help shape the School’s future, uplifting it to new heights of excellence and establishing it as a hub for industry-driven innovation and entrepreneurship.
Words and photograph: Sibonginkosi Mabika