The North-West University (NWU) Centre for Business Mathematics and Informatics (CBMI) welcomed industry giants ABSA, SAS and FirstRand for insightful engagement with honours- and master’s-degree students. This engagement reflects the centre’s strong industry ties and its commitment to providing students with valuable insight into the professional world.
ABSA engagement focused on two professional development themes
ABSA highlighted the importance of mastering time management and hybrid work. Representatives from ABSA, including Leonie Wernick, Jacques Venter, Marius Smuts and Gettable Mkhonza, shared valuable insight on how to efficiently balance workloads and navigate the work environment.
“With hybrid work becoming the norm, adaptability and effective time management are more important than ever,” said Wernick. “We want students to understand how to structure their days productively and maintain high performance levels in dynamic work settings.”
Prof Helgard Raubenheimer, director of the CBMI, expressed gratitude for ABSA’s commitment. “Thank you, ABSA, for your time and for sharing valuable insights with our BMI honours- and master’s-degree classes! Partnerships like these are instrumental in preparing our students for the corporate world.”
SAS: Analytics for career growth
With his visit, SAS's manager for Global Academic Programs-Africa, Andre Zitzke, celebrated yet another milestone in the 27-year partnership between SAS and the CBMI. His session provided insight into learning and development opportunities – from advanced analytics tools to global academic programmes.
Zitzke commented: “Our goal is to equip future data scientists with the right skills to excel in a data-driven world. Through SAS’s platforms, students can gain hands-on experience in analytics, setting themselves apart in the job market.”
Prof Raubenheimer applauded SAS’s commitment to education, saying: “It is always great to see how passionate SAS is about education. The CBMI indeed values the ongoing partnership.”
SAS is championing analytics for career growth.
FirstRand highlighted career opportunities
FirstRand’s session was led by Gisell Ras and Diaan Blignaut, who emphasised career development pathways within the financial institution. Students also gained knowledge on the graduate programmes offered by FirstRand, internships and work-readiness initiatives shaped to equip students with specialised industry skills.
“We see immense value in engaging with talented young professionals. By connecting with students early, we ensure they are well-equipped for careers in the financial sector,” said Ras.
In agreement with this, Blignaut said: “It is exciting to interact with students who are so passionate about analytics and financial modelling. We look forward to seeing them thrive in the industry.”
These industry visits bridge the gap between academia and industry, and they highlight the partnership between the two organisations. Prof Helgard concluded by saying, “The engagement sessions with ABSA, SAS and FirstRand are prime examples of how academia and industry can work hand in hand to prepare students for real-world challenges.”
Industry engagements prepare students for the financial sector.
