UCT’s Graduate School of Business has ranked top in Africa and the Middle East according to a new report which analyses details given by more than 3,300 employers who actively recruit MBA graduates.
UCT’s Graduate School of Business has made it into the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Global 200 Business Schools Report as the best of only three emerging global Middle East and Africa business schools with the most appeal and recognition among international employers.
Professor Walter Baets, Director of the GSB,said: “The MBA, our most enduring course, is becoming more and more attractive, particularly to foreign students, for management education as well as a resource pool for management talent.
“There is no substitute for actually being in an emerging market to help students understand them, their challenges of complexity and inequality, and for building thought leadership and business practice in ways that are contextually relevant.”
The objective of the reportis to provide a resource to help prospective MBA students identify the business schools from which employers most actively recruit.
It is used by MBA employers, prospective MBA students and institutions worldwide interested in international business education and recruitment trends.
The survey was conducted between March and July 2012 and represents one of the largest exercises QS has undertaken in terms of geographic scope and level of detail.
The list of 200 business schools, from which employers prefer to recruit MBAs, was compiled from details provided by HR and line managers who recruit at companies around the world.
UCT achieved a substantial lead over its regional peers, clearly reflected in its impressive average graduate salary of US$82,000, in excess of the US$50,000 on offer for graduates of the University of Witwatersrand, and the American University in Cairo’s figure of just US$7,000.
The proportion of international students at UCT’s GSB stands at 25 percent compared to AUC’s three percent.
The MBA offered at UCT’s Graduate School of Business is a reflection of the school’s vision of business for the better and offers the latest in social innovation, entrepreneurship and emerging economy business.
It is based on the important philosophy that “business as usual” is no longer the way to achieve sustainable success, which sets it apart from other MBAs.
Professor Baets said: “We challenge taken-for-granted assumptions and practices, and cultivate in managers an ability to draw from a full spectrum of disciplines and cultures.
We call this ‘full colour thinking’, an approach that emphasises values, sustainability and relevance. Until recently, relevance in business was synonymous with shareholder value.
“Today, there is widening acceptance that focusing on shareholder value alone is a dangerous route and that business must take into account a wider pool of stakeholders.”
It’s this thinking that ensures UCT produces MBAs that are sought after internationally. In addition to the QS ranking, the GSB’s unique approach has received recognition from numerous respected international bodies; and often it is the only business school in Africa to achieve these honours.
For more information about the UCT Graduate School of Business visit www.uct.gsb.ac.za.
