The Department of Transport Economics and Logistics Management on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Mahikeng recently hosted a gala dinner at the Mmabatho Palms to celebrate its 2016 graduates.
In attendance at the gala dinner was the university’s vice-chancellor, Prof Dan Kgwadi, campus executive management, the national acting deputy director general responsible for integrated transport planning, Mr T Tenza, and the North West provincial MEC for community safety and transport management, Dr Mokgantshang Motlhabane, who delivered the keynote address.
According to Ms Karen Visser, the programme coordinator, the establishment of the bachelor programme was in response to government’s effort to realise strategic objectives in terms of broad capacity building and empowerment programmes aimed at historically disadvantaged universities and societies as a whole.
“Today, 14 years later, the bachelor programme in transport economics and logistics management has delivered more than 600 graduates. It is with great pride that we can say that this programme withstood the test of time. Its success paved the way for establishing the honours programme in logistics, which will be followed by an honours programme in transport economics in 2018,” said Karen.
“The Department of Transport Economics and Logistics currently boasts an employment rate of 75% after completion of a first degree (BCom in transport economics or logistics management), and we are convinced that this will be maintained and expected to improve in future,” Karen concluded.
In his address MEC Motlhabane said that the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management has, since the inception of Transport Economics department at the NWU, supported the transport economics and logistics economics programme by utilising students in the development of provincial strategies and integrated transport plans for local district municipalities. The purpose of this initiative is not only to give students experiential learning, but also to provide students with a platform to apply their academic knowledge in a working environment.
“As a university we are very confident that we are producing competent young professionals from humble beginnings, with the necessary motivation and skills to excel in their field of choice,” said Prof Kgwadi.
“We are humbled by the support from our sponsors. We - the university, government and private sector - are responsible for the changed lives of the students we see graduate and who will become tomorrow’s leading professionals,” concluded Prof Kgwadi.
Dr Mokgantshang Motlhabane, the North West provincial MEC for community safety and transport management, was the keynote speaker during a recent gala dinner to celebrate the NWU Department of Transport Economics and Logistics Management’s graduates of 2016.
