Professors Jackie Walters (HOD TSCM), David Hencher (ITLS Sydney) and Daneel Van Lill (executive dean: College of Business and Economics)
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management (TSCM), housed in the Johannesburg Business School, College of Business and Economics, recently celebrated 50 years of dedication and achievement.
The TSCM was established in 1968 as the Department of Transport Economics at the UJ legacy university Rand Afrikaans University and has evolved within the changing higher education landscape in support of the transport and supply chain industry.
At its core, TSCM’s purpose-driven values and principles guide the provision of comprehensive and excellent education, training and research programmes to the domestic, continental and international transport and supply chain community.
Today, TSCM offers a rich portfolio of diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, continuing education programmes and specialised industry-targeted programmes.
TSCM Continuous Education Programmes, for example, attracts thousands of annual enrolments. All the programmes were developed in close collaboration with South African, continental and global higher education institutions, industry partners and local government. Moreover, these initiatives were strengthened and their stature grown through productive MoUs with local and international universities.
Other achievements over the past decade include the department having entered into an funding agreement to host four annual Transport Forum Special Interest Groups (SIG); having founded the Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management, and having established the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, Africa in close association with its global counterpart, the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies in Sydney, which is positioned by the Shanghai rankings as first in Australia and 6th internationally for transportation science and technology.
In the considerably changed industry context brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, TSCM continuously introduces counter-disruptive innovation in a world of increasing competition, changing demographic trends, globalised markets and shifting customer profiles. In meeting education and training needs in a new era of complexity and on-going technological advancement, TSCM has introduced two online Advanced Diplomas and one online Diploma in Logistics.
To make the momentous celebration of 50 years of dedication the Department of TSCM acknowledges and salutes all staff members, contributing experts, collaborative partners and industry, alumni and students for their contribution, and for laying the foundation for exciting new chapters over the next 50 years.
Professor Jackie Walters is head of department: Transport and Supply Chain Management, Johannesburg Business School, College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg