SANParks celebrates as 30 senior leaders graduate
This is a milestone in African conservation, SANParks says
The South African National Parks (SANParks) is celebrating the graduation of 30 staff members as senior and emerging conservation leaders.
In its statement, SANParks hails it as a significant milestone in African conservation.
The eleven graduated from the African Leadership University (ALU) School of Wildlife conservation.
This follows their completion of the certificate in Park management Leadership.
In a statement, SANParks said: “The Park management Leadership Development Programme is the first programme of its kind in the world, developed through a pioneering partnership between SANParks and ALU’s School of Wildlife Conservation. It was established to cultivate a new generation of conservation leaders equipped to address the increasingly complex environmental, social and economic challenges facing conservation areas across the African continent.”
According to the statement, the programme combines rigorous academic learning with practical , real world application, ensuring participants develop the strategic leadership , adaptive management and systems thinking skills required to lead conservation in the 21st century at a time when inclusivity and benefit-sharing is a globally recognised need.
Said the SANParks’ statement: “While the graduation marks the successful completion of the programme’s first academic year, it also signals the beginning of the next phase. Graduates will now enter the second year through a structured mentorship programme designed to translate acquired learning into action. The phase will comprise implementation of projects, testing innovative solutions and strengthening conservation leadership with SANParks.”
