Prof. Krishna Govender: The brains behind SFB triumph

For many years, I have been hearing and reading about the Kigali School of Finance and Banking (SFB) having taken strides towards education transformation as part of its ambition to achieve vision 2020. At SFB, all seems on course. The brains behind the school’s efforts to evolve SFB into academic giant is Prof Krishna Govender. In his office, Govender.is smiling politely. “Why treating me kindly,” I ask him as I begin the interview. “I am a leader and leaders must treat people well,” the Rectors replies, flashing another smile. “We are here ready to promote education to match international standards,” Govender starts in a low tone. He says he came to put what is wrong right. Govender was born in South Africa on 26 September, 1957. He is married with two children. Before his latest appointment, the rector worked as an Academic Director at University of South Africa (UNISA). “Isn’t that all you want?” he asks, jokingly. “Maybe,” he keeps quiet a bit and looks up. “Well, I love gardening, walking and watching sports.” I probe more about this man whose name is mentioned with much respect. “You are very inquisitive. But as a teacher, when a student asks, he deserves an answer,” He starts again. Having grown up amidst South Africa’s fast growing economy, Govender found it vital to undertake business studies. In 1979, he was a teacher in commercial subjects and also head of department at the Esther Payne Smith Secondary School, Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. “Three years later, I became a lecturer of business management at the University of Transkei (UNITRA) of Eastern Cape of South Africa,” Govender recalls. Towards 1996, Governder became a senior lecturer and acting head of department for business at UNITRA. He lectured marketing management, marketing research, and advertising among other marketing related principles. Later, he was appointed vice dean of the faculty of economic science at UNITRA in 2000. And in 2001, Govender became the Execute Dean of the faculty of business management, at Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2005, Govender was appointed Interim executive dean at the faculty of management in the University of Johannesburg, still in South Africa. Last year in August, Govender came to helm of SFB as the rector over taking the interim rector, Gerlinda Melchiori, a former director of development at the University of Michigan, who served in the top post for three months. “I have experience and the sky is going to be the limit to many things we want to don here,” he says confidently. He said his appointment as rector was William Davidson Institute (WDI)’s decision. This was after WDI signed a five-year agreement to provide capacity building for the SFB in June 2006. The institute has a solid track record in the areas of higher education development, having been involved for a number of years in capacity building projects for business schools in the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia and Africa. He said that his appointment was based on his vast qualifications in business studies and experience in business administration. “I hold different credentials in education, business studies especially in the marketing field and management.” In 1978, he was awarded a bachelor’s Paedagogics degree in Commerce from the University of Durban, Westville. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of South Africa in 1983, and a bachelor’s Commerce (marketing) with honours from the University of South Africa in 1985. In 2000, he was awarded a master’s degree in commerce (management) from the University of Natal and a doctorate in marketing from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Upon his appointment, he said it was an opportunity to contribute towards the reconstruction of higher education in a country which has certain commonality with my own. Adding: “In 1994, South Africa was liberated from apartheid, and in Rwanda a new nation was born out of the ashes of the Genocide.” Govender added that on appointment, he declared to meet with the various internal and external stakeholders and share his vision for a new school as well as establishing networks and relationships despite the limited resources, which makes it difficult. “But it was the only way to set targets and amicably achieved.” When asked why he set high targets? “I have been in administration for some of the best universities. Life at SFB is not so challenging and far from his other academic experiences despite being away from home.” He continued that SFB has tremendous potentials and hopes to reach the required standard necessary that can compete. This is evident with the few transformations available at the school to turn into a fully fledged Business School to develop vital skills for Rwanda’s economic development. These efforts are also required to sustain the country in its determination to carve a position as a regional player in modern business studies, and to contribute to Africa’s development in an increasingly fast-moving global economy. Govender says the efforts are also aimed at transforming the school into an internationally accredited, regional center of excellence delivering high quality management education programs. The transformations here in bracket are few but paramount for the economic ambitions of the country. For instance, a new academic programme in economics studies is understudy for introduction only awaiting approval. This involves economic planning and policy implementation. The school also through its affiliation to William Davidson Institute (WDI) will offer entrepreneurial scholarships to Rwandan women. This is a women empowerment strategy to addresses entrepreneurial challenges of women in the country. The scholarship programme known as Goldman Sachs Business School Scholarship Fund will focus on underprivileged but qualified women regardless of age and is to be offered per year, for four years. As part of the efforts to development entrepreneurs in Rwanda, the school has also established Center for Entrepreneurship Development (CED). The bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA) has also been revised to include aspects of general education at the first year. Political science, philosophy and critical thinking are some of the principles included in the programme. Further still, earlier this year, the second official graduation ceremony was also held, and for the first time in the academic history of the country, the graduands were given their certificates and transcripts. “These few but paramount transformations have come at a time when the school if under a new revolutionary leadership. But I have a few years here at SFB, I can achieve much as also lay a foundation for the future,” Govender explained with a smiling face. Ends