CPIE Postgraduate Diploma Accreditation Celebration

BY: .

The School of Built Environment and Development Studies (BEDS) hosted a gala dinner to celebrate the accreditation of its Child Protection in Emergencies (CPIE) postgraduate diploma.

BEDS in partnership with UNICEF, the Child Protection Working Group and Save the Children UK, will launch the Child Protection in Emergencies Post Graduate Diploma next year.

Speaking at the dinner, Dean and Head of the School Professor Thokozani Xaba said: ‘The accreditation of the programme stands out as a major milestone in the entire project. Reaching this point has not been easy or straightforward.

‘It took far longer than we anticipated at the outset and it took more resources than we had planned but what kept us moving forward was the original vision we had for the project - to see the first successful graduation of our programme. And we are looking forward to this graduation in the next two years.’

Childline representative, Ms Joan Van Niekerk, also expressed her excitement at the programme being accredited and congratulated UKZN and the School on the achievement.

‘I am so proud of UKZN and the School in developing this diploma as it is both necessary and important in today’s world. This is such a relevant programme for the University and I look forward to working with the CPIE team and to see the first CPIE graduates in the future.’

The CPIE postgraduate diploma seeks to strengthen the capacity of staff within national child protection systems to respond to emergencies and to increase the number and capacity of deployable child protection mid-level staff in international organisations to respond to emergencies.

- Melissa Mungroo