International recognition for NMMU school

Business Reporter

WITH only a few months to go before its new eco-friendly premises are completed, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Business School has become only the second such school on the African continent to be admitted as a member of the prestigious European Doctoral Programmes Association in Management and Business Administration (Edamba).

NMMU Business School director Steve Burgess says the international recognition by Edamba is an important milestone for the school.

"Reaching our goal of being a world- class graduate business school requires that we invite rigorous external reviews and keep abreast of the latest global trends, while remaining alive to our African emerging markets context and celebrating our diversity,” he said.

"Edamba helps participating schools improve doctoral education by promoting research cooperation among an exclusive network. We hope that Edamba members will benefit from our location in one of the world’s most exciting learning laboratories. Mid-sized African cities such as Port Elizabeth will feature prominently in world growth during the next two decades. This is an exciting potential for path-breaking research and learning.”

Earlier this year, Eduniversal global rankings of the top 1000 business schools placed the NMMU school among the top 3% of the world’s business schools.

The school’s marketing head, JP Roodt, said the new building was on track to be completed in early December.

"To date, 70% of the project has been completed, including the construction of the main structure. The teams are now working to finalise finishes and fittings.”

Roodt said the new building would be a world-class facility. "The facility will empower faculty and staff to realise the school’s vision of becoming the preeminent authority on the continent for business, management and leadership education and training.”