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Thoughts in the Breeze

A Five-Year Journey with UoPeople

© J. Francois Barnard - 14 August 2022

My morning walk in a late winter breeze is my time for thanksgiving, reminiscing, and contemplating: five years, two degrees, a regular job and a small business. And add to that what I loved most: liaising with my Class of '82 to have an absolute blast when we meet every five years for a reunion.

Ignore the Man in Despair

© J. Francois Barnard - 5 July 2022

Studying for an MBA can be challenging. Studying at the age of 58 is even more so. Studying at the age of 58 in South Africa in 2022, amidst electricity blackouts and internet failure while your body screams for tender loving care as it ages - you get the picture - it causes despair.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Servant of the People

© J. Francois Barnard - 22 March 2022

In this paper, we consider Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, a nation under siege since February 24, 2022. His diverse cultural background surprised me, and his strong leadership in the depth of an international crisis is impressive.

UoPeople's MBA - The Fairness of Group Work

© J. Francois Barnard – January 5, 2022

If you read what universities say about group work, you would see phrases like it being "an effective and powerful way to learn," being "highly relevant to the workplace," being "more efficient and fun," and "enables you to pool your ideas and see problems from different perspectives." But is it true? Do we, as students, really benefit from it?

UoPeople's MBA - keep on keeping on

© J. Francois Barnard – January 1, 2022

I have completed the seventh course of my MBA this week. The last assignment in Operations Management was about motivating students to maintain excellence in academic papers and discourse in the forums. I found the topic apt in that this term has probably been the most difficult one for me so far. Not that the academic work was more difficult than other courses. Perhaps it was because 2021 was a challenging year. Maybe it was the pressure at work to complete infrastructure projects in time that caught up with me?