The interdisciplinary nature of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme offered by UKZN’s Graduate School of Business and Leadership enables technical experts to master business skills that will prepare them for prosperous careers.
Among the many individuals who have benefitted from the programme are Senior Information Technology Technician and LAN Manager, Ms Sijabulile (Sjah) Oliver, and Senior Laboratory Technician, Mr Brian Ndlovu, who both graduated with MBA degrees.
They work at UKZN’s College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science and are passionate about the success of their students who they interact closely with.
Oliver’s dissertation was titled: The Impact of Remote Teaching and Learning on Engineering Students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal; while Ndlovu investigated: The COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Performance Recovery within the School of Chemistry and Physics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
They were supervised by Dr Tony Ngwenya.
With more than 10 years’ experience in a technical environment, Oliver felt it was vital to embark on postgraduate studies as she is highly involved in planning, designing and managing IT projects within the engineering department. ‘Over the years with my team, we successfully reviewed internal IT policies in line with fit-for-purpose COVID-19 protocols,’ she said. ‘I have been preparing IT risk assessment reports for the department’s management team. All of this would not be been executed as professionally and efficiently without the knowledge I gained from my studies.’
The aim of Oliver’s study was to explore and evaluate the impact and influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the curriculum and quality of teaching and learning delivery using the RTL method for engineering students at UKZN. Oliver is in the process of sharing the findings of her study with the University Teaching and Learning Office in order to enhance the teaching and learning experience at UKZN.
Meanwhile, Ndlovu – the father of three boys – decided to change focus from Applied Chemistry and embarked on postgraduate studies in order to sharpen his business skills. Now armed with an MBA, he is confident he will manage his responsibilities as a senior technician with ease.
Driven by his passion for the academic wellbeing of students, Ndlovu’s research investigated how COVID-19 impacted the School of Chemistry and Physics as it relies on the practical aspect to prepare undergraduates and postgraduates students for the outside world. Valuable insights were received from staff and will be used in strategic decision making that will enhance student experience in the School.
The research journey for Ndlovu was marked by interesting, life-changing events, including his wife, Sindy, expecting their third child, when he started his MBA studies, and conducting an online interview with one of the participants in his study at the hospital parking lot on the same day his son was delivered.
Explaining the value of family support, he said: ‘I didn’t take the decision to study on my own – I consulted my wife and we spoke of possible challenges we could encounter during my study journey. We made it together as a team and I thank her for the support she gave me.’
Ndlovu encourages those with family responsibilities to communicate with their loved ones before embarking on an arduous academic journey. ‘Communicate with your family or partner so they understand what is happening and no doubt you will get their support.’
Words: Hazel Langa
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini