GIBS ranked top in Africa
UP, UCT are among the top institutions
The University of Pretoria’s (UP) Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Graduate School of Business (GSB) continue to battle it out over which institution is the best business school in the country.
GIBS has strengthened its place as a premier business school after being ranked the top South African and African business school for executive education by the Financial Times (FT) in its Executive Education 2020 ranking.
The FT also ranks GIBS in the top 50 globally – sitting at position 38. GIBS dean Nicola Kleyn said 2020 marked the 17th year in which the school had consistently ranked among the top 50 best executive education providers globally.
“We are delighted to be ranked once again by the Financial Times,” Kleyn said.
“As we seek to continuously evolve to meet our clients’ changing needs, the FT plays a useful role in enabling us to be benchmarked against the world’s best business schools,” she added.
UP vice-chancellor Tawana Kupe said the university provided across-the-board high-quality teaching and learning that was relevant to the sectors it serves.
“We provide programmes that matter and enable business to navigate the ever-changing and complex environments of our continent and the global economy. POST-COVID-19 a quality business education is going to be even more relevant in creating a new landscape,” Kupe said.
Rankings are based on input from schools and clients.
UCT’S GSB also made a strong showing in the rankings. The school was ranked in the top 40 globally for future use (the likelihood that clients will use the school again).
The UCT GSB was also ranked number one in Africa in terms of growth, which measures overall growth in revenue.
Kumeshnee West, director of executive education at the UCT GSB, said these measures speak to the value that the school places on building relationships of trust with its clients.
“Our rapid growth and rise in repeat business indicates that clients are seeing a return on investment and a return on value,” West said.
“I believe that this is a direct result of our responsiveness and agility and an endorsement of our ‘high touch’ client-centric approach.”
A first for a South African university, the virtual graduation selfie application gives students the opportunity to have images of themselves on the graduation stage and in front of the historic water fountain at the Auckland Park campus.
However, reactions to the app have been mixed with students saying that they would rather wait for their actual ceremony.
Twitter reaction to the selfie app @Biancamahoko said: “UJ needs to seriously rethink that virtual graduation app, no way.”
“So our grandparents must ululate for pixels? Nah fam, the graduation ceremony can be postponed,” said @Lisckey_ on Twitter. While @Golethabom said: “We are more than willing to wait for actual graduations, honestly.”
UJ spokesperson Herman Esterhuizen confirmed the app was outsourced in consultation with the institutions’ experts.
We are more than willing to wait for actual graduations, honestly