The Durban University of Technology (DUT) in collaboration with the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA), will officially launch its DUT Retail Leadership Chair on Monday, 04 November 2019.
The Wholesale and Retail SETA has established the second Retail Leadership Chair at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), which will serve as a critical conduit between industry and the university, in terms of constructive engagements, best practice in the industry both locally and internationally, in curriculum relevance and work integrated learning.
It will also facilitate collaboration with international institutions in order to align the South African Wholesale and Retail Sector to international best practice and it will lead development in the sector.
The Durban University of Technology Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chair (DUT WRLC) was established in November 2017 as a result of the W&R SETA’s initiative to contribute towards Research and Qualifications development at higher levels (NQF levels 5-10).
The Chair has functions of research, retail education and other relevant services to the Wholesale and Retail sector. The Chair will be in line with the nomenclature used by the University.
W&RSETA CEO, Mr Tom Mkhwanazi said they are proud of the various ground-breaking and innovative initiatives that have been implemented in the Wholesale and Retail Sector, with the Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chair, being amongst such innovations.
“In 2011, we broke new ground in the African continent when we launched our very first Retail Leadership Chair at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, CPUT. Eight years later, we have reached yet another milestone with the launch of the second Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chair at the Durban University of Technology. The Retail Chair will ensure that the W&RSETA positions pertaining to Wholesale and Retail are available as a professional career of choice, particularly for young people,” said Mkhwanazi.
Inherent in this initiative is the development of distinguished scholarship and reputable research and innovation, as well as the promotion of internationally competitive research.
The commitment to research is aligned with the national imperative to encourage more postgraduate studies to increase the production of traditional research outputs (as defined by research articles, books, book chapters, and conference proceedings) and to expand the pool of researchers that can contribute to knowledge production and generation in our society.
The DUT WRLC will, in collaboration with the Faculty of Management Science offer professional and general academic Master’s and Doctoral qualifications, that focus on applied research in all the related business disciplines and the research chair focuses on the applied research needs of the Wholesale and Retail sector.
The launch will be held as follows:
DATE: 04 November 2019
TIME: 17H00 for 18H00
VENUE: African Sky,11th floor, Coastlands Umhlanga Hotel, Umhlanga Durban
Nomfundo Ngcobo
