FMCL’s first-time entering Honours students and staff members attending the Induction and Orientation Session on 30 March 2026 at Nandoni Riverview
UNIVEN’s Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law (FMCL) officially launched its first-time entering Honours, Masters and Doctorate programmes with focused and impactful Induction and Orientation sessions, setting a strong academic foundation for the cohorts. The sessions, which were held on 30 March 2026 for the Honours students and 31 March 2026 for the Master’s and Doctorate students, reflected the University’s strategic commitments to academic excellence, student success, and a thriving research culture, which are key pillars of the UNIVEN 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, particularly its emphasis on strengthening postgraduate throughput, research output, and holistic student development.
On day one, proceedings began with a warm welcome from the faculty’s Interim Deputy Dean for Research and Postgraduate Studies, Prof Vusani Moyo, who welcomed the Honours Class of 2026 to the FMCL at UNIVEN and emphasised that the Induction and Orientation marked the beginning of their postgraduate journey.
He encouraged students to take ownership of their studies, engage actively with the support provided by dedicated academic staff, and strive for academic excellence. Prof Moyo further emphasised that the students must aim to complete their Honours programme within one year, which is possible given the faculty’s level of support.
SRC representative Promise Maboa, a Masters student in the Business Information Systems Department, encouraged Honours students to stay focused and composed, reminding them that despite the challenges of postgraduate studies, success is achievable through discipline and commitment.
Academic facilitators, including Heads of Departments and the FMCL’s Librarian, outlined crit-ical expectations for Honours students, including supervisor and research project allocations, adherence to key milestones, effective time management, and the importance of structured engagement through student-supervisor agreements.
The Sessions further reinforced the University’s strategic priorities of student support and enhancing research capacity by guiding students in structuring research reports, navigating ethical clearance processes, submitting mini-dissertations, and accessing funding opportunities, including NRF support.
Prof Freddy Munzhelele HoD, Accountancy Department and Ms Ivy Khangale, FMCL Librarian
Dr Willard Munyoka, HoD, Business Information Systems and Prof Norman Chiliya, HoD, Business Management
Prof Harry Munzhedzi, HoD, Public and Development Administration
In alignment with UNIVEN’s strategic goal of providing a supportive and enabling learning en-vironment, students were introduced to a comprehensive network of academic and psycho-social support services. These included library and information services, ICT support, student counselling, international relations, and essential campus services such as health, safety, and administration. The Directorate of Research and Innovation, represented by Prof Moyo, out-lined key institutional policies, including postgraduate training, plagiarism prevention, and re-search ethics, ensuring that students are grounded in the principles of integrity, accountability, and innovation.Other sessions addressed the realities of postgraduate study, with a strong focus on effective supervision, time management, and the emotional journey of academic re-search. These discussions echoed the University’s strategic intent to not only produce grad-uates, but to nurture resilient, critically engaged scholars capable of contributing to societal development. An interactive session with Heads of Departments and students further created a platform for shared learning, reflection, and collaborative problem-solving.
Day two saw the faculty transition into another session of the orientation and induction, which focused on Master’s and PhD students. The momentum continued to build towards advancing UNIVEN’s vision of becoming a leading African university distinguished by high-quality teaching, impactful research, and meaningful community engagement.
The Honours orientation, on day one, has thus laid a critical foundation ahead of the Masters and PhD, empowering students to excel academically while aligning their journey with the broader institutional mission of transformation and innovation.
Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding and Communication University of Venda
Tel: 082 868 2218 / 082 868 1811
