Dear Veganites and Vega Friends and Family
As we close our 2018 chapter and look forward
to Vega coming of age in 2019 (we turn 21!) let’s
unpack and reflect on a significant 2018.
Our students excelled on the local and international
award scene: 2 x D&AD, 4 Silver and 4 Bronze
Loeries, 1 x IAB Black Pixel Bookmark and a
PROMAX BDA Africa Award. We also celebrated
four of our Navigators (Chis Graaff, Alex Sudheim,
Conrad de Kock and Mathew Mjindi) in the top 10
Loerie lecturer rankings!
On the academic front our students across all
qualifications and years of study, achieved a
midyear average module pass rate of 88%.
Three Honours students’ research articles have
been published in the 2018 Brands and Branding
Encyclopaedia: Changing perceptions towards
nation-branded symbols; Customer service and
brand loyalty and Millennials’ perception of product
placement.
Vega supported 70 students with bursaries in the
2018 academic year.
Our alumni continue to thrive and blaze trails in
industry and we are proud to now share more of
their stories on our website by programme, we will
continue to build on this in the new year.
Please take 70 seconds to watch our latest bio video:
https://youtu.be/klIEECFwmSU. We have great fun
each year creating a video that encapsulates who
we are, what we do and why we do what we do –
this is our third instalment and a vibrant addition to
our video collection.
As we gear up for 2019, Vega leaps into new
territory with the launch of IIE-Vega Online – new
students will now have the option to register for
fully online degrees and short courses on certain
programmes. IIE-Vega Online will provide an
interactive experience where students, no matter
where they are, enjoy a comprehensive learning
experience supported by Vega online experts.
Brand Challenge 2018 engaged 470 final year
students working in 79 transdisciplinary teams to
deliver against briefs provided by 27 clients. My thanks and gratitude to our Navigators, students,
alumni, industry friends and guest lecturers,
Advisory Council members, brand activation and
brand challenge clients and everyone who impacted
Vega this year.
Vega hosted its first national roadshow with Dutch
trend expert, author and Fontys lecturer, Els Dracht
– “Demystifying Trend Watching” – was a great
experience for all involved. Happy holidays – wishing you all a 2019 filled with
wisdomwithmagic!
Academic Navigator, Ria van Zyl, leading our design
portfolio, graduated with a PhD in Management
in Technology and Innovation, bringing us to 20
doctorates on our academic team.
Shevon – Managing Director