Stakeholders and Partnerships Collaboration with national and international industry, societies, policymakers, and organisations further strengthen the CBE’s meaningful partnerships and knowledge exchange by integrating global perspectives. Schools and departments host numerous industry stakeholders’ engagements, and industry advisory committees ensure that the CBE remains relevant and a preferred provider of commerce education, skills, and research. The CBE has entrenched itself as a pivotal catalyst for socioeconomic transformation through a robust external engagement strategy that bridges the gap between high-level scholarship and industry needs. A cornerstone of this effort is exemplified by the appointment of Prof Stella Bvuma (Director of the School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Systems) by the South African Cabinet to the Independent Development Trust Board. These accolades are mirrored by the conferral of honorary doctorates on transformative figures, such as Prof Wiseman Nkuhlu. The College’s professional relevance is further reinforced through deep institutional relationships and prestigious accreditations across its various schools. The School of Tourism and Hospitality (STH) continues to honour its storied legacy through The Kerzner@UJ, a culinary and hospitality hub named in homage to the late hospitality pioneer, Sol Kerzner, which provides students with world-class practical exposure. In the Department of Marketing Management, research excellence is driven by the Wholesale and Retail SETA (W&RSETA) Leadership Chair, while the Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management maintains a strategic partnership with the Transport Education Training Authority (TETA) through the TETA 4IR Research Chair. Our accounting departments remain the benchmark for professional excellence; the Department of Commercial Accounting holds prestigious ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) accreditation, while the Department of Accountancy is a premier SAICA (South African Institute of Chartered Accountants) accredited provider, consistently ranking as the largest contributor of successful African candidates to the accounting profession. Investment in the future of South African financial leadership reached a significant milestone in 2025 through a strategic partnership between the College of Business and Economics and BankSETA. This collaboration materialised in a substantial funding injection of R3.276 million, specifically earmarked to empower 26 full-time, unemployed South African students. By removing the financial barriers to high-level education, this initiative serves as a critical bridge for talented individuals to enter the specialised world of the Department of Finance and Investment Management (DFIM), ensuring that the next generation of industry experts reflects the demographics and potential of the nation. The impact of this funding is felt across a diverse range of academic levels, from foundational undergraduate studies to advanced specialised research. Students enrolled in the BCom Finance and BCom Honours in Investment programmes are now equipped with the resources to focus entirely on their academic rigour, while postgraduate candidates in the MCom Investment Management (RD), MCom Quantitative Finance (RD), and the MCom Investment (Coursework) streams are empowered to drive the sophisticated research needed for modern markets. This bursary scheme Industry Stakeholders Engagement 78 College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2025
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