NMMU Business School’s collaborating with the Ecosystem Return Foundation

Thekla Teunis of the Ecosystem Return Foundation recently gave a presentation about the Living Lands Project undertaken in the Baviaanskloof and Kouga area in the Eastern Cape. The aim of the Living Lands Project is to accelerate ecological restoration based on partnerships created between local stakeholders, expert professionals, business parties and investors. Based on sound business cases, these stakeholders co-develop and implement a landscape restoration plan, delivering four returns, namely, return on inspiration, social capital, natural capital and investment.

Teunis, associated with the Rotterdam School of Management, one of the founders of the Ecosystem Return Foundation, explored several academic opportunities that may arise from the NMMU Business School’s collaboration with the Four Returns Development Company.

Possible opportunities include the following:

• Guest lectures wherever the Four Returns Development Company’s work links to the curriculum
• Linking Business School students with Ecology students (climate change impact risk in the Kouga area linked to related business implications)
• Connecting with international researchers
• A ‘Business Challenge Event’. Students will be provided with a real-life challenge, as well as possible tools and models to solve the problem. The students will be required (in the context of a strategy consultant) to present their solutions to a panel; and
• A business seminar around resilience/resilient landscapes, for the broader business community in Port Elizabeth, hosted at the Business School.

The latter will be taking place on the 28th of January 2015 at the NMMU Business School.

From left to right: Heidi Janse Van Rensburg (from the NMMU Business School), and the Living Lands team: Thekla Teunis, Donovan Kirkwood and Leon Taljaard.