At a special award ceremony hosted by the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) to celebrate its top performing postgraduate students last week, Dr Jaco Franken, Manager of the Graduate School of Economic and Management Sciences, received the award for the top MBA student overall.

The degree MBA (cum laude) was conferred on Franken on Wednesday, 3 April 2019.

“It is a truly stunning achievement if one considers that Jaco studied while working full-time," Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences said.

Franken, who holds a PhD in Biotechnology from SU, also received the MBA award for outstanding achievement in the module Business in Society in 2018. In addition to his qualifications in Biotechnology, he completed an MPhil degree in Science and Technology Studies (cum laude) in 2016 at the SU Centre for Research on Evaluation.

For his MBA thesis, Franken looked at private return on post-school technical and vocational education in South Africa. His study leader was Prof André Roux of USB.

Franken said he was very happy about receiving the award and grateful to PPS for sponsoring his prize. “The biggest challenge during my MBA studies was to find a balance between family, work and studies," he added.

No wonder he is taking a break from studying this year!

• Photo provided by USB (f.l.t.r.): Top overall MBA student Dr Jaco Franken and Ms Danielle Muller of PPS, sponsor of the top MBA student prize, with Mr Martin Butler (far right), Head of MBA programmes at USB.