Enthralling endeavour: SBL reaches out to Ethiopia students

In a mission to proffer support to doctoral and master’s students, the Unisa School of Business Leadership (SBL), under the leadership of Professor Pumela Msweli, Executive Dean and CEO of SBL, went to Ethiopia, where it met various cohorts of students ranging from Doctor of Business Leadership (DBL), Master of Business Leadership (MBL) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) students. The students came from various walks of life – some travelled more than five hundred kilometres.

From left to right: (seated row): Zeyneba Ahmed (Unisa Ethiopia Regional Office), Professor Nhlanhla Mlitwa (Director: Research: SBL), Professor Pumela Msweli (Executive Dean and CEO: SBL), and Dr Levy Motebejane (Deputy Chair of SBL Alumni Association Executive Committee), and back row: DBL students

Addressing the students, Msweli delineated the purpose of the visit and the expected outcomes. The primary objective was to support students on their research journey and identify challenges they face to find solutions. At the dedicated SBL student engagement sessions, Ethiopian SBL students expressed various challenges affecting the pace of their study journey, including wars, COVID-19 and other germane issues. In her opening remarks, Msweli highlighted different challenges engulfing Afrika, which the Afrikan forefathers also identified.

Msweli outlined the SBL focus areas and engaged scholarship and crystalised the university catalytic niche areas and Africa Continental Free Trade Area as critical areas for conducting research – and flagged these areas as solutions to many Afrikan problems. She encouraged students not to lose hope even when facing a smidgen chance of success.

Professor Nhlanhla Mlitwa, Director of Research at SBL, patiently listened to DBL students’ challenges and guided them with great panache around research matters and life challenges. He recorded individual challenges and committed to ensuring that necessary support would be proffered for the students’ success. These sessions were interactive and emotional to a certain degree as students poured out their experiences relating to wars.

The engagements included the DBL journey and milestones realised by students, different methodologies, ethical clearance, external examinations, Turnitin platform, language editing, publishing, academic support and training workshops, and the publishing journey.

The SBL team engaged various stakeholders, including the South African Embassy in Ethiopia and Culture, Heritage, Arts, Tourism and Trade (CHATT), about possible partnerships and collaboration opportunities.

The final day was committed to meeting and engaging SBL Alumni in Ethiopia in a breakfast to revitalise and activate the SBL Chapter. The event was a success as alumni expressed gratitude to SBL and engaged Mlitwa on various issues relating to teaching and learning, research and innovation, and engaged scholarship. Alumni demonstrated a willingness to contribute to communities and participate in SBL activities.

#Unisa150

* By Makabongwe Khanyile, Deputy Director: Communication and Marketing (SBL)