South Africa’s leading private higher education provider, The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE), has been inducted into the prestigious Golden Key International Honour Society – a recognition usually reserved for public universities.
The Golden Key International Honour Society is the world’s largest collegiate honour society for graduate and undergraduate students and has strong relationships with over 400 universities around the world, including in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, The Bahamas and the United States. Membership into Golden Key is offered to undergraduate and graduate students recognised to be among the top 15% of their class.
The induction of The IIE as a chapter of the society means that their highest performing students will now be able to access the benefits of Golden Key membership, including bursaries, international professional development opportunities, and its global student networks.
“We are thrilled that The IIE has been inducted into the society, as our students will now have the opportunity to be recognised alongside their public university peers in South Africa, as they deserve to be. Their inclusion and the international recognition demonstrate our commitment to academic excellence and student success,” says Shevon Lurie, Director of The IIE.
The total number of IIE students invited based on their 2023 results is 3789. These students will be recognised and celebrated at The IIE’s inaugural membership ceremony to take place in July.
Membership of the Golden Key Society gives invited students access to a range of leadership and service projects while connecting with other members across South Africa and globally. Through the society, members receive various benefits, including recognition, access to outstanding scholarships and worldwide internship opportunities, invitations to national and international leadership summits, professional development and networking opportunities, access to servant leadership opportunities as well as access to exclusive resources and discounts.
Students may join the society by invitation only and membership is based on academic performance and eligibility criteria. Every year, The IIE will present its top 15% highest-performing degree and postgraduate students, excluding first-year students, to the society.
These students will be selected based on their academic qualification, year of study, and achieving an overall aggregate of 65% or higher in the previous academic year. Invitations to join are sent by the society directly to qualifying students.
“The IIE is dedicated to fostering transformation and upholding standards of excellence in education, scholarship, and community involvement. This commitment resonates with the core principles of the Golden Key Honour Society, which include a focus on academics, leadership and service,” says Lurie.
“We are extremely proud of our faculty and staff who have helped us reach this important milestone, to be recognised alongside our public university peers here in South Africa and abroad. And we are exceptionally proud of our students who have met the criteria this year. We encourage them to seize the opportunity and use it as a substantial building block on their way to a successful career.”
