The conference – which represents a collaboration between the University and the Social Sciences Research Society in Turkey – saw representatives from the United States, Turkey, Russia, Hungary, Israel, the United Kingdom as well as the African continent (Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Namibia) in attendance. In total, 159 papers were delivered over the course of the three-day conference.
The aim of the conference was to bring together a wide audience of academics, policy makers and practitioners around clearly circumscribed topics, to engage participants in fruitful debate, and to facilitate mutual understanding. An additional goal was to provide a place for academics and professionals to meet and interact with members inside and outside their own particular disciplines. Topic areas included disciplines such as economics, business, corporate and public governance, political science and sociology.
The keynote speakers were Ms Bernedette Muthien, a South African expert on issues of gender equity, nonviolence, and gender-based violence, and Prof Pat Obi, professor of Finance at Purdue University in Chicago.
Several speakers were applauded for their participation.
Best conference paper
- Ms Veruschka Pelser-Carstens and Prof Seugnet Blignaut, both representing the NWU: Towards a table top board game for accountancy students in South African higher education (Overall best conference paper)
- Ms Varvara Rogozhnikova from Moscow State University: The problem of truth in Economics and Mathematics
- Prof Ayesha Lian Bevan-Dye, NWU: Relationship between Generation Y students’ link sharing motives and word-of-mouth communication on Facebook
Best presentations
- Prof Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad from the University of Johannesburg
- Dr PJ van Schalkwyk from the Vaal University of Technology
- Dr Anthony Kiryagana Isabirye, from the Vaal University of Technology
