Academic achievers honoured at EMS Dean’s List ceremony

Posted on June 27, 2024

Forty alumni from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) were honoured during the EMS Dean’s List ceremony on 4 June 2024. This annual event is a highlight on the Faculty’s calendar and is hosted to celebrate the achievements of students who have maintained a high level of academic performance throughout their studies.

The ceremony followed the University of Pretoria’s autumn graduation season, where the Faculty conferred a total of 2 594 degrees, which consisted of 16 doctorate degrees, 238 master's degrees, 472 honours degrees, 311 postgraduate diplomas and 1 557 bachelor's degrees.

Prof Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu, Dean of the Faculty of EMS, congratulated all the recipients, noting that their quest for excellence had distinguished them. “In this world where we are experiencing the dizzying speed of artificial intelligence and other related technologies, we desperately need to balance this with human intelligence. I believe, in you, we can proudly say that we do not fear artificial intelligence,” she said.

Faculty of EMS Dean's List honourees with academics

Reflecting on the 2023 academic year, Prof Chitiga-Mabugu reminded students that they were graduates of the first Faculty of its kind in Africa to receive accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. She further highlighted the Faculty’s exceptional performance in the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject, where EMS retained its number one position in South Africa for Accounting and Finance, as well as Economics and Econometrics.

A student achievement that she commended was the performance of Accounting Sciences students in the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants Initial Test of Competence, where UP scored an unprecedented 100% pass rate for the second year in a row. Among the honourees at the Dean’s List awards evening were students from the cohort that sat for this first of two SAICA qualifying exams.

Prof Chitiga-Mabuga thanked the Faculty's management, academic staff, departmental professional staff, the student administration team, as well as the academic success coaches in the Faculty for their contributions to the successes of the students throughout their studies. She encouraged the students to keep in touch with their alma mater and to consider pursuing further studies at UP.

Left: Prof Theuns Steyn, EMS Deputy Dean: Teaching and Learning and right: Prof Karin Barac, EMS Deputy Dean: Research and Postgraduate Studies

“As graduates from one of the top universities in South Africa, you are now proud alumni of our Faculty. We urge you to become ambassadors for our university, promoting its values and ethos wherever your future pursuits take you,” she concluded.

The Dean’s List honourees, in alphabetical order, are:

Surname	Name	Qualification	Field of study
Bohmer	Udo	Postgraduate Diploma	Accounting Sciences
Burgers-Serfontein	Yanka-Marié	Master of Commerce	Data Analytics
Caplan	Aimee	Bachelor of Commerce	Law
Cilliers	Marelize	Master of Commerce	Econometrics
Da Corte	Selena	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Industrial Psychology
De Bie	Matthew	Master of Commerce	Data Analytics
De Coning	Lachelle	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Industrial Psychology
De Jager	Melissa	Master of Commerce	Industrial Psychology
De Ravel De L'Argentière	Natasha	Master of Commerce	Industrial Psychology
De Sousa	Aliya	Bachelor of Commerce	Investment Management
De Villiers	Simeney	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Informatics
Du Toit	Anita	Master of Philosophy	Fraud Risk Management
Edwards	Mikhail	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Informatics
Els	Ruben	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Internal Auditing
Erasmus	Kailey	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Industrial Psychology
Feldman	Jarred	Bachelor of Commerce	Investment Management
Gozoya	Joseph	Master of Commerce	Economics
Green	Kayley	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Informatics
Griffiths	Gareth	Postgraduate Diploma	Accounting Sciences
Jay	Megan	Master of Commerce	Industrial Psychology
Kritzinger	Wizelle	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Economics
Maclean	Bronwynne	Master of Commerce	Industrial Psychology
Makkink	Ilse	Master of Philosophy	Fraud Risk Management
Matthews	Christian	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Financial Management Sciences
Mshumbushi	Brenda	Master of Commerce	Economics
Noël	Shannon	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Informatics
Noor Mahomed	Khabeer	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Informatics
Ntshakala	Manqoba	Master of Philosophy	Economics
Opperman	Joané	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Industrial Psychology
Pieters	Jannie	Master of Philosophy	Internal Auditing
Pruis	Nicole	Master of Commerce	Industrial Psychology
Sherman	Caitlyn	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Industrial Psychology
Smith	Jade	Master of Commerce	Agricultural Economics
St Leger Denny	Keegan	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Data Science
Steenberg	Kyle	Postgraduate Diploma	Accounting Sciences
Steyn	Paulina	Master of Commerce	Industrial Psychology
Strauss	Mariete	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Industrial Psychology
Van Vuuren	Thomas	Bachelor of Commerce Honours	Informatics
Van Wyk	Tanya	Master of Philosophy	Responsible Leadership
Wiid	Engela	Master of Philosophy	Taxation

- Author Nonkululeko Moyo

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Academic achievers honoured at EMS Dean’s List ceremony

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Academic achievers honoured at EMS Dean’s List ceremony

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