Reaching out to empower students is the impressive aim of the DUT Innovative Leadership Programme which was launched through its first workshop at the University’s Ritson Campus on Saturday (22 February 2014).

The year-long programme was designed to give 20 students the opportunity to learn concepts of leadership, to get to know fellow students and staff members, develop ground rules and open the chance to share links with other people.

The Programme is sponsored by the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), International Centre of Non-Violence (ICON) and DUT.

Keynote speakers at the event included Dr Jairam Reddy; DUT Council Chairman, Robin Sewlal; Associate Director in the Media, Language and Communication Department at DUT, Crispin Hemson; ICON Director, Paddy Kearney; Denis Hurley Centre Director and Laura Doriguzzi-Bozzo; ACCORD Programme Officer.

According to Dr Reddy, one the objectives of the launch workshop was to build a sense of common purpose amongst staff and students, and to introduce students to some basic leadership theory and concepts.

Also excited about the programme was Doriguzzi-Bozzo, who said her organisation’s partnership with DUT and ICON was aimed at nurturing a generation of leaders until they graduated.

“They need to have leadership skills to be able to address problems of social cohesion, which is quite common as the political scene changes in order to address all the challenges in the country. I’m very happy with the calibre of students in the workshop. We have a gender balance and we also have international students who are generating conversations and giving us an idea of what they want to talk about. It’s definitely going to be a very exciting experience,” she said.

Menzi Ngcobo, a B-Ed student, chosen to be part of the Programme said, “You cannot learn about being a leader, you cannot capsulate it, it just happens. Other people see it in you before you can say ‘I am a leader’. With regards to the workshop, let’s see how it unfolds and what it has in store for us and I will take it one step at a time,” he said.

The next workshop is on 19 March and the topic will be Leadership and Conflict Management.

– Waheeda Peters

Pictured from L-R: Laura Doriguzzi-Bozzo; ACCORD Programme Officer, Crispin Hemson; ICON Director, Dr Jairam Reddy; DUT Council Chairman, Robin Sewlal; Associate Director in the Media, Language and Communication Department at DUT and Paddy Kearney; Denis Hurley Centre Director.
Also pictured is Dr Jairam Reddy while welcoming and briefing the selected students about the plans going forward.