The conference took place in George in the picturesque Western Cape and saw delegates from across South Africa and the globe in attendance.
The aim of the annual conference is to bring together a wide audience of academics, policy makers and practitioners around clearly circumscribed topics, to engage participants in fruitful debate, and facilitate mutual understanding. An additional goal of the conference is to provide a platform for academics and professionals with interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary interests related to social sciences to meet and interact with members inside and outside their own particular disciplines.
During the course of the three-day conference, more than 140 papers were delivered. These papers, which have been through a peer review process, will be published in the following e-journals: International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies, International Journal of Economics and Finance Studies, International Journal of Business and Management Studies, and the International Journal of eBusiness and eGovernment Studies.
International keynote speakers
Dr Supa Pengpid and Dr Terrence Kommal respectively took to the podium as keynote speakers.
- Dr Supa Pengpid
Dr Pengpid has been a professor at the ASEAN Institute for Health Development at the Mahidol University in Thailand since June 2013. She holds an MSc and a PhD in public health from Mahidol University, and an MBA from Regenesys Business School in South Africa.
As a public health expert, specifically in health behaviour and public health, Dr Pengpid enjoys international acclaim. She has published more than 200 international articles, five books and book chapters, and has supervised more than 50 master’s and PhD graduates. Her main research interests are health behaviour interventions in areas of chronic disease prevention, obesity management, alcohol, HIV and TB, sexual education, gender-based violence and health systems research.
- Dr Terrence Kommal
Dr Kommal is a seasoned strategist, entrepreneur, speaker, and mentor who is passionate about helping people create true, lasting value in their businesses and lives. He is devoted to excellence in learning and development as well as mentoring and consulting so that each of us can become champions of ethical leadership and success.
Currently, he is the CEO of a leading healthcare services group, serves as a director and non-executive director in a range of businesses, and is a professional speaker and author. At 34 years of age, he was appointed as a non-executive director by the South African Minister of Transport to a R45 billion entity board. He is also the Africa Chair of the Healthcare Network in YPO, the premier leadership organisation of chief executives in the world.
