Mission, Vision & Values
Nelson Mandela University Business School offers formal graduate programmes, customised learning & in-house training, executive education, and research and business consultation services.
Nelson Mandela University Business School was founded in 2005 as the youngest business school in Southern Africa. Our international head office and main campus is situated in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Our Business School is a business school of choice, alive to its context, and a thought leader in management and leadership development for tomorrow.
VISION:
The key tenets of the Vision Statement are:
- A Business School of choice: To be amongst the best if not the best in the world;
- Alive to its context: Actively engaged in the lifeworld of the community and responsive to people, and society;
- A thought leader: Being at the cutting edge of our industry with demonstrable leadership in teaching, learning and research; and
- Management and leadership development: Developing holistic and ethical leaders for tomorrow
MISSION:
We develop holistic leaders who contribute to sustainable futures through education, research and engagement.
VALUES:
We hold ourselves accountable to our core values in the execution of our vision and mission, the design of our academic programmes and curricula, the delivery of our services, the ways in which we interact with our stakeholders, and in the evaluation of our performance.
Excellence:
- We benchmark for excellence
- We exceed expectations
- We provide a supportive and affirming environment that enables students and staff to reach their full potential.
Social Justice & Equality:
- We emulate Nelson Mandela’s moral values and replicate his servant leadership, his deep concern for others and his relentless fight for social justice.
- We cultivate living, learning and work environments that enable students and staff to realise their full potential, without fear of discrimination or harassment.
- We develop our graduates as globally competent citizens who generate, apply and transfer knowledge to contribute actively to advancing social justice, inclusion and equality.
Innovation:
- We challenge paradigms
- We cultivate innovative thinking and entrepreneurship
- We embrace digitalisation by preparing students for the future world of work
Integrity:
- We live our values
- We ensure the integrity of our information, systems and processes.
- We acknowledge our personal responsibility for ethical and professional behaviour towards others.
Sustainability:
- We promote socially responsible business and foster resource sustainability.
- We promote the integration of sustainability principles into our academic practices, operations and design of physical infrastructure.
- We inspire students and staff to embrace responsible environmental stewardship.
Ubuntu:
- We value our humanity.
- We are a people-centred university.
- We promote compassionate and responsible citizenship.
Diversity:
- We value and promote diversity and inclusiveness.
- We promote an open society where critical scholarship and the expression of a multiplicity of opinion and ideas are actively encouraged.
- We foster an environment in which diversity is appreciated, respected and celebrated.
WHAT SETS US APART:
- What sets us apart is our commitment to reflect the values and ethos of Nelson Mandela in our learning and teaching, our research and innovation, and in our engagement and internationalisation.
- What sets us apart is our commitment to place Africa at the centre of our scholarship in the service of society.
- What sets us apart is a commitment to anchor humanity at the core of what we do and how we do it.
(Source: 'Understanding the Context of Education is the most Powerful weapon we can use to change the world' - Keynote Address by: Dr Geraldine J. Fraser-Moleketi Chancellor, Nelson Mandela University. Repositioning our understanding of the "weapon" Education Colloquium 19 July 2018).
