By: Qhawekazi Memani – 12 June 2024

On 11 June 2024, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Logistics and Supply Chain Management  Department within the Faculty of Management Sciences had the honour of hosting Professor Joyendu (Joy)Bhadury for a public lecture. Prof. Joy is a distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management in the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina Greensboro in the USA.

The public lecture, titled “Supply Chain Resilience: Lessons (Not) Learned from COVID,” was held at the VUT Auditorium 100. In attendance were Dr. Simphiwe Nelana, the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation, Commercialisation and Internationalisation, various Heads of Departments within the Faculty, Management Sciences lecturers, and other VUT staff members.

In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Nelana expressed gratitude for Prof. Bradury’s collaboration with VUT and emphasised the importance of building undergraduate research, a topic he plans to discuss further with Prof. Bhadury.

Prof. Bhadury began his lecture by highlighting his keen interest in international education, particularly in Africa. He explained that his interest stems from a desire to contribute to developing countries, drawing parallels with his birthplace, India. “As much as challenges are there, I see a lot of potential, the greatest challenges present are man-created, but with bright applications of knowledge and wisdom, the future can be even brighter,” he said.

Prof. Bhadury discussed the impact of COVID-19 on  supply chains, noting that the pandemic accelerated existing trends rather than creating new ones. He emphasised the importance of resilience in supply chains, a lesson neglected for two decades. “COVID made it clear that supply chain resilience is crucial. Before the pandemic,   organisational managers  focused on cost efficiency and how to get goods and services more cost-effectively. Students were taught about controlling inventory levels and outsourcing,” he emphasized. However, COVID19 brought the realisation that resilience, the ability of supply chains to bounce back from disruptions is equally important.

Further unpacking the title of the  lecture, Prof. Bhadury underscored the necessity of creating supply chains that can withstand disruptions to prevent trade wars, such that that currently taking place between China and the USA. He urged lecturers to incorporate lessons on supply chain resilience into their teaching, citing Winston Churchill and Mark Twain: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” and “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”

He warned that the COVID-19 pandemic would not be the last, as closer human contact with animals increases the risk of future pandemics. He shared insights on the economic impact of supply chain shocks since 2020, the unfolding global supply chain constraints that emerged as   COVID-19 aftershocks, and their long-term implications. He then advised South Africans to focus on local manufacturing, reverse coordination, and building a circular supply chain while addressing health issues, emphasising that resilience requires a healthy population. “Reality is that the population has grown by 3 million, and most public services are either underutilised or can’t cope with the demand’. The main reason being the fact that capacity levels are not good; they have gone down,” he noted.

The renowned supply chain scholar encouraged lecturers in attendance to engage undergraduate students in research projects to enhance their CVs and contribute to academic literature. He suggested interviewing company owners about strategies for building resilient supply chains and bringing manufacturing back home.

After a question-and-answer session facilitated by Ms K Rangaza, the program director, a vote of thanks was presented by Ms. M Mashiloane who extended her gratitude to the guest presenter and attendees of the public lecture. She expressed satisfaction with the alignment of Prof. Bhadury’s insights with the content taught to students, affirming that VUT’s Supply Chain Management lecturers are already emphasising resilience and flexibility.