[07
JAN 99] UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK PRESS RELEASE
Blair Announces Warwick Uni And South African PartnershipThe Prime Minister, the Rt.
Hon. Tony Blair MP announced today in Johannesburg the start of a new partnership between
Warwick University and two South African Provincial Governments creating two new
International Competitiveness Centres in South Africa's Northern Province, and
KwaZulu-Natal.
The new International Competitiveness Centres are the
result of Partnership Agreement’s between the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the
University of Warwick and the Provincial Governments of Northern Province and KwaZulu
Natal. They are the latest stage of an ongoing relationship between the Warwick
Manufacturing Group and the South Africa Government under the umbrella of Project 2000.
The Group is already helping to help boost managerial efficiency by training 2000 South
African managers by the year 2000.
Professor Kumar Bhattacharyya (Head of the Warwick
Manufacturing Group) in Johannesburg today said,
"The new partnership agreements with business and
government in South Africa will help enhance management skills in the battle for global
competitiveness".
Economic regeneration is a crucial issue for the new South
Africa. It is vital that the key agents of economic development, the Provincial
Governments, have a clear understanding of modern business practice, are able to work with
the private sector and adopt private sector best practice where appropriate. The two new
centres will assist the
Provincial Governments to achieve those goals. Stella
Sigcau, Minister of Public Enterprises said at the Centres' launch:-
"South Africa needed to improve its management skills
to improve its competitive edge".
Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki has also said that,
"We are confident that with a partner like Professor
Bhattacharyya, the developer of the unique integrated Manager Development Programmes at
the University of Warwick the Programme will contribute significantly to our human
resource capabilities".
The Warwick Manufacturing Group has a reputation as a
global centre of excellence in developing managers who can successfully handle the
complexities of modern technology based business. The Group enjoys long terms relations
with over 500 companies around the world and offers training, research and development and
global best practice to all of them. This results in a programme which combines academic
excellence with industrial relevance.
The Group also announced today a new Partnership Agreement
with Eskom (South Africa's state electricity generation and transmission company - one of
South Africa’s largest companies), to give its managers and future business leaders
the skills set they need to manage the business in to the next century.
MORE INFORMATION:
Professor Kumar Bhattacharyya: Tel 01203-523155
Nick Matthews, Tel: 01203-572506
Peter Dunn, University Press Officer
01203 523708
email: puapjd@admin.warwick.ac.uk
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