Business | Bob Schuiling: A man of many passions

By the Newsletter team

Bob Schuiling is a man of many passions: he’s an avid outdoorsman and cyclist, an industrial engineer, an environmentalist and a business manager – not to mention a husband and father. Bob is completing two courses with GetSmarter – the UCT Business and Legal Documents course and the UCT Internet Super-User course – and took some time out to tell us a bit about himself.

Bob qualified as an Air Force pilot and studied engineering at Stellenbosch University. He works as an industrial engineer and was one of the three founders of Elkanah House, a school for children of all ages. Bob has performed various roles over the years, from building the school infrastructure and equipping classrooms to developing various school departments. He currently focuses on the legal, financial and governance aspects of running the school.

Bob takes environmental issues very seriously. “Our high school is built based on principles of sustainable development. We have solar water heating, photovoltaic panels for generating electricity, underground irrigation and so on. It was probably one of the first ‘green’ buildings in Cape Town.” His love for nature and the outdoors has fuelled many of his hobbies, which include cycling (Bob is a 12-time Argus Cycle Tour veteran), running, gardening, woodwork and swimming. When he’s not out and about, Bob spends his time reading (“I alternate between novels and more serious stuff like Richard Dawkins”) and listening to a wide variety of music.

Bob explains why he signed up for the courses: “I wanted to indulge myself by doing a single thing for a period of time. Something I could focus on and which was intellectually challenging, but also topical, and immediately useful.” He states that he’s learned to write more carefully and to perform online searches effectively. And although the learning was less peer-based than he remembered from his university days, he nevertheless enjoyed the process and the staff’s positive attitude, and thinks that “the didactic approach of the course works very well”. If Bob could choose any topic for the next GetSmarter course, he’d go for advanced Excel skills or photography.

We wish Bob all the best for the remainder of the UCT Internet Super-User course!

Back to SmartyPants Newsletter - June 2010 Edition
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