“The University of Pretoria has excellent supply chain management qualifications in place”, says Carin Stoltz-Urban, Head: Professional Development and Education at CIPS SA.

“The courses offered by the University of Pretoria are informed by the latest research and professional knowledge, as partners in industry and the profession contribute to programme development and teaching. Academic staff combine professional practice with teaching and research activity”, says Mr Wesley Niemann, programme manager at the Unit for Supply Chain Management in the Department of Business Management.

The Unit for Supply Chain Management offers a progressive range of formal and continuing education programmes in supply chain management. This includes a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) with an option in Supply Chain Management, a Masters of Philosophy (MPhil) Business Management with an option in Supply Chain Management and various certificate programmes and short courses.

“As the professional body for supply chain management, we need to work with universities and other reputable providers to professionalise this profession and position it as a career of choice”, says Stoltz-Urban.

The areas of cooperation include

• advocacy and lobbying towards enhancing the professional status of the supply chain management community within South Africa;
• building on the already excellent quality of supply chain management qualifications at the University of Pretoria; and
• encouraging students to join CIPS Southern Africa as members and to work towards obtaining MCIPS membership status.

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply is an international professional body dedicated to serving the purchasing and supply profession and to promoting good practice. CIPS provides a wide range of services and qualifications focusing on people development, process development and performance enhancement in the supply chain arena. The flagship qualification offered by CIPS is at honours degree level and leads to the internationally recognised professional designation of MCIPS.