Fintech: Disruption in Finance

University of Cape Town

Equip yourself for the future of finance with an understanding of today’s most important fintech innovations, and learn to fund your own disruptive business idea.

 

As a result of inaccessible banking services, a large small-to-medium business sector, and growing populations, emerging markets have begun to find new solutions to long-standing financial pain points. Fintech has risen to the challenge and aims to address, disrupt, and innovate the current financial landscape.

 

The University of Cape Town (UCT) Fintech: Disruption in Finance online short course prepares you to better understand, interpret, and respond to the disruptions and opportunities within the financial market. With a holistic approach to the financial industry, this course provides you with an overview of the main fields of technological disruption, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data. You’ll develop the ability to identify financial problems and apply fintech solutions within the context of emerging markets. The course will enable you to refine your disruptive business ideas and develop a funding strategy to get your fintech start-up off the ground. You’ll walk away with the knowledge and skills to make more strategic business decisions, unlock new career opportunities, and prepare for fintech innovation within your organization and beyond.

 

Is this course for you?

This course is aimed at financial professionals and graduates looking to unlock new career opportunities, embrace innovation in their current roles, and remain relevant in an industry that is being increasingly changed and driven forward by fintech. The content is aimed at students who want to take their business idea to the next level – into action. It’s also suited to business decision-makers who are eager to prepare for the future and make more informed strategic choices. No prior knowledge of fintech is required.

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Instructional Design Online Short Course

University of Cape Town

Gain up-to-date skills to build effective training programs as an instructional designer.

 

The evolution of the modern workplace – including the rapid progression of technical and environmental disruption – has made the upskilling and reskilling of employees a vital concern for organizations worldwide. These changes have increased the need for learning opportunities that address the specific requirements of businesses. At the same time, it’s heightened the demand for those with the skills to create and implement engaging, effective learning material.

 

The Instructional Design online short course from the University of Cape Town (UCT) gives you the tools to create effective learning experiences and embrace a new role as an agent of change. Gain a holistic understanding of the fundamental principles of instructional design, including content curation and using learning management platforms, with a focus on African and emerging-market contexts. On the course, you’ll learn to use incentivization tactics, particularly gamification, to achieve learning goals. You’ll also explore the links between instructional design and organizational goals, and build a portfolio of transformative instructional design work that applies directly to your current context.

 

Is this course for you?

By offering a holistic approach to instructional design, this course provides you with the tools to make an impact as an agent of change within your organization. The current importance of upskilling and reskilling means that this course also allows you to increase your organizational impact if you work in human resources (HR) or corporate training. If you’re a teacher or educator, you’ll get the opportunity to expand your career to new horizons and apply your skills to broad contexts. You’ll also have the opportunity to gain up-to-date insights into the latest developments and applications of instructional design. If you’re interested in a career in the fast-growing instructional design industry, this course offers you key skills and a portfolio of instructional design work for application in multiple contexts. Ultimately, you’ll gain the knowledge and practical tools needed to foster long-lasting, positive change through education and training.

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Communication and Influence in the Digital Age

University of Cape Town

Learn to engage attention in a media-dense environment and cultivate interpersonal skills through clear, effective communication.

 

In an increasingly complex global and local environment, where individuals need to cope with rapid change and abundant information, effective communication is crucial. The fast-paced and public nature of digital communication can mean a single misstep can lead to a loss of credibility at both a company and an individual level.

 

The Communication and Influence in the Digital Age online short course from the University of Cape Town (UCT) explores traditional communication skills adapted for today’s connected and technology-driven environment. Led by UCT faculty and subject matter experts, you’ll learn to communicate effectively with your teams, stakeholders, and digital audience to improve trust, clarity, and goodwill.

 

You’ll learn how to navigate the current communication landscape through critical thinking, persuasion, storytelling, cultural awareness, interpersonal communication, presentation, and crisis management, all integral to manifesting influence and communicating successfully.

 

Is this course for you?

This course is aimed at professionals across industries who are looking to build their communication abilities – in person and online – to meet the needs of an increasingly complex, digitized world. In occupations where effective communication skills are required to engage with a range of stakeholders, this course will help to develop an interpersonal skill set applicable to the current communications landscape. If you’re seeking ways to influence and inspire others, build greater self-awareness and interpersonal skills, and communicate effectively, the course provides a practical roadmap to promote trust, clarity, and goodwill in your professional context.

 

Relevant to early- and mid-career professionals who need to engage with a wide range of personnel, as well as new or aspiring leaders who need to communicate effectively with teams, you’ll be compelled to assess your interpersonal communication skills and the value of investing in communication as a professional and a leader. No matter what your context, building influence is crucial for reaching your personal and professional goals. This course will help you develop your personal brand and hone your presentation skills in order to cultivate influence and communicate persuasively.

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Social Media Marketing

University of Cape Town

Learn how to leverage key social channels to build brand awareness and broaden customer reach.

 

Social media has transformed the way in which businesses communicate with their customers. Once used predominantly for personal networking purposes, social channels are now recognized as key marketing tools, and organizations need a sound strategy in place in order to properly leverage these platforms for promotional success.

 

The University of Cape Town (UCT) Social Media Marketing online short course is designed to teach you how to develop such a strategy. It’ll introduce you to the South African social media marketing landscape and familiarise you with key principles and practical tools that you can use to boost your company’s social presence. You’ll learn how to manage a social media community and make use of social channels to drive sales and generate leads. Ultimately, you’ll walk away with a comprehensive social media marketing strategy that aligns with business objectives.

 

Is this course for you?

This course is ideal for anyone wanting to improve their ability to utilize social media platforms optimally for marketing purposes. Marketing managers, community managers, content marketers, and digital marketing strategists should all find the content useful. The course is also suitable for business owners and brand leaders looking for the skills and confidence to promote their companies more effectively online.

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Leading Diversity and Inclusion at Work

University of Cape Town

Develop proactive strategies to build a thriving inclusive and diverse workplace.

 

The call for workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is being echoed globally, with employees, stakeholders, and society holding businesses accountable for their actions and promises. This presents an opportunity to promote meaningful organizational change as well as greater success through innovation and employee engagement.

 

To keep up with their competition and retain employees, companies need to tap into wider pools of diverse talent and provide a sense of belonging in the workplace.

 

The Leading Diversity and Inclusion at Work online short course from the University of Cape Town (UCT) explores the changing world of work, and how organizations use D&I strategies to keep up with this dynamic corporate environment. Over six weeks, students will examine topics ranging from unconscious bias to privilege, gaining inclusive leadership skills and strategies that will be used to create an in-depth D&I plan specific to their organization.

 

Is this course for you?

This course is designed for any professional interested in building an inclusive workplace but lacks the skills needed to implement D&I strategies. Those who lead or manage diverse groups will gain enhanced leadership skills and D&I awareness. Anyone in the human resources professionals will learn to prevent bias and enact processes that ensure the fair treatment of all employees by creating an inclusive, supportive, and unbiased company culture. Professionals interested in challenging their understanding of unconscious biases, prejudices, and workplace discrimination will benefit from learning how to identify these obstacles while developing strategies to counter them. Anyone looking to influence D&I at work, within their sphere of influence, will gain a deeper understanding of themselves to do so.

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Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

University of Cape Town

Learn to resolve disputes and find persuasive solutions through practical negotiation simulations.

 

The ability to negotiate and resolve disagreements effectively is proving more vital than ever in an environment that has increasingly embraced the remote working culture. These interpersonal skills are key to establishing strong relationships, achieving desirable outcomes in professional environments, and have timeless principles.

 

The University of Cape Town (UCT) Negotiation and Conflict Resolution online short course seeks to equip you with the tools and knowledge required to successfully and ethically settle differences and mediate workplace disputes. Over six weeks, you’ll identify the common causes of conflict, discover dispute resolution mechanisms, and explore powerful communication techniques, all under the guidance of David Woolfrey, an accredited mediator and arbitrator with more than 20 years of experience in the negotiation field.

 

You’ll also learn how to apply your new insights to positively impact your organization, and you’ll have the opportunity to practice the skills you learn in live, online negotiation sessions with your classmates.

 

Is this course for you?

With a focus on enhancing core soft skills, this course is ideal for anyone who manages employee requests, expectations, and disputes. It’s especially suited to managers and other professionals seeking to advance their careers or improve their current role performance by boosting their persuasive impact and honing their ability to manage disputes. Individuals who would like to become more confident negotiators and communicators will find the content beneficial.

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Technical Team Management

University of Cape Town

Tailor your leadership style to develop and support the unique needs of your technical team.

 

Running a technical team offers a unique set of management challenges. The demands, needs, and motivators held by technical staff are often underestimated in companies, resulting in high staff turnover. Furthermore, technical professionals are commonly encouraged to develop their technical skills at the expense of leadership and interpersonal skills. In order to retain these technical employees and ensure they are performing optimally, leadership approaches need to be tailored for a team’s effective development and growth.

 

Enhance your leadership and soft skills on the Managing Technical Professionals online short course from the University of Cape Town (UCT). Over eight weeks online, you’ll explore techniques that can be leveraged to improve team performance and innovation and enhance career development opportunities for you and your direct reports. You’ll discover how to improve team dynamics, and manage change by cultivating effective communication channels, and strategic thinking. The course culminates in a team-specific and personal strategic action plan to help achieve organizational objectives.

 

Is this course for you?

This course aims to give existing or aspiring managers the ability to lead, support, and develop a team of technical employees, and enhance their leadership skills and, by default, their careers. Due to its wide industry applicability, it can be relevant and beneficial to multiple technically-orientated roles and responsibilities, including, but not limited to, IT experts, developers, engineers, and data scientists. Although the areas of expertise are varied and diverse, the course addresses leadership and development needs that are common across differing management positions in an effort to upskill technical professionals for an increasingly complex and demanding workforce.

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Foundations of Business Management

University of Cape Town

Develop an integrated business management strategy to ensure your business’s success.

 

The tradition of managers working within business silos is disappearing. Now, they need to have an integrated and holistic understanding of how an organization works, on both a theoretical and practical level, in order to improve performance. By gaining knowledge across the management spectrum, managers can ensure that every decision made is backed by comprehensive business insight.

 

Develop a holistic understanding of business functions in the Foundations of Business Management online short course from the University of Cape Town (UCT). By studying a variety of leadership and management skills, you’ll learn to create integrated business management strategies to ensure your organization's success. Gain the skills to achieve your objectives in the areas of leadership, marketing, finance, market research, and competitive analysis.

 

Is this course for you?

This course has been designed to meet the industry's need for skilled managers who require integrated knowledge of multiple business functions. Mid to senior managers looking to increase their organizational impact will receive a holistic foundation to business and management’s most important concepts and practices. Aspiring managers and entrepreneurs will also benefit from this introduction to business management, and become prepared to advance within their careers by gaining broadly applicable business skills.

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Public Relations (PR) Online Short Course

University of Cape Town

Become an effective communications professional in the digital age.

 

The evolution of social and online media channels has caused a visible shift in the way we consume traditional media. As the communications landscape continues to change, businesses and brands must turn to public relations (PR) professionals to help control their public image in order to positively impact their bottom line.

 

Want to be recognized as a tactical and pre-emptive PR manager? The Public Relations online short course from the University of Cape Town (UCT) offers the perfect opportunity to enhance or launch your career in PR, by exploring the latest techniques and tactics for effective PR practice in a digital age. Over ten weeks, you’ll learn to create your own PR plan, and gain the confidence to build strong public relationships and communication strategies.

 

Is this course for you?

If you’re a new or aspiring PR practitioner looking to update your current skill set and enhance your career, this course will provide you with insights to help you grow in your field. Additionally, the course offers those wanting to break into the PR industry foundational knowledge, practical skills, and validation from Africa’s leading university in the form of a certificate of completion.

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Data Science with Python

University of Cape Town

Gain meaningful insights from data to inform your decision-making.

 

In a world that’s increasingly data-driven, organizations need professionals who can extract meaningful insights from data to make better business decisions.

 

On the Data Science with Python online short course from the University of Cape Town (UCT), you’ll have the opportunity to develop practical data science and analysis skills for use in everyday business scenarios. Over the course of eight weeks, you’ll cover widely applicable Python libraries and learn how these methods can be, and are, used in day-to-day business situations.

 

Gain an introduction to statistical learning, which will provide a foundation on the mechanics of machine learning. You’ll explore supervised learning using tree-based models and neural networks, as well as unsupervised learning using K-means and hierarchical clustering. You’ll also learn about the process of revealing more robust patterns to ensure models are useful.

 

Is this course for you?

This course is aimed at professionals who want to close any gaps they may have in their data science skills and knowledge. IT professionals who need to rapidly enhance their data science toolkit with demonstrable and practical skills would benefit from the technical nature of the content. Professionals working in a variety of industries will learn how to increase efficiencies and identify new opportunities for their organization with key data and programming skills.

 

This course is technical in nature. It is strongly recommended that you have a basic understanding of mathematics, statistics, and at least one programming language if you wish to reap the full benefits of the course.

 

Readiness test

Assess your knowledge of Python in preparation for this course with our readiness test. The test will gauge your competencies in mathematics and statistics, as well as your understanding of relevant programming languages.

 

COMPLETE THE TEST NOW

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