As the University of Pretoria’s Orientation Week signalled the start of academic activity on the various UP campuses, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) received a special cohort of first-year students. The 2020 intake joins UP in the year that the Faculty of EMS celebrates its 100-year anniversary.  

To kick off the centenary celebrations, the students had a festive welcome when they attended the Dean’s session at the Amphitheatre on the Hatfield Campus. Dean Professor Elsabé Loots, along with the senior management of the Faculty as well as the executive committee of the student faculty house Commercii, handed centenary caps to each student as a memento of the event.

Professor Elsabé Loots

Prof Loots explained: “2020 is a very special year for the Faculty and we are excited about all the planned activities to commemorate this special accomplishment”.

“As part of the celebrations, we are planning to host several events during the year to highlight the Faculty’s achievements and also feature profiles of a number of our esteemed Alumni on the Faculty website.”

The Faculty’s student body has grown from just 32 enrolled students in 1920 to 7 800 students in 2019. Over the years, the Faculty has, with success, focused on further improving the qualifications of staff; refocusing and deepening its research impact; and implementing various hybrid teaching and learning models to entice a new generation of students. On a global front, the Faculty has expanded its footprint and now has international subject rankings in all its fields of specialisation.

EMS 2020 first-year students

 “While the centenary year will provide an opportunity to reflect on all the achievements in the Faculty to date, it will also be an exciting period as we collectively envision how the Faculty will continue to advance over the next 100 years. Our mission is to continue to advance relevant knowledge and develop employable, innovative and diverse graduates to co-create value for society,” Prof Loots concluded.