Strengthening Digital Trust Through Research Exchange with Johannesburg Business School
This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Lebogang Mosupye-Semenya to Switzerland. The visit was funded by Swiss TPH.
Dr. Mosupye-Semenya is Senior Lecturer in Digital Technology at the Johannesburg Business School (JBS) and also serves as a Board Director at the Southern Africa Institute of Management Scientists (SAIMS). Her academic background combines business management and engineering, including a PhD in Business Management from the University of Johannesburg, an MBA from Wits Business School and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Wits University.
Dr. Mosupye-Semenya is also a valued member of the Swiss-Africa Cybersecurity Community (SwissAfricaCySec) and research partner in several projects with FHNW, focusing on digital trust and the responsible adoption of digital technologies. Such as, our collaboration with Swiss Leading House Africa:
Exploring the challenges of Finfluencing
A particular focus of our collaboration is our research project on Finfluencing (TPH Finfluencing Project), which examines the opportunities and risks emerging from the growing role of social media influencers in financial advice and investment-related communication. The project also looks at how consumers can be better protected against cybersecurity threats and other risks associated with digital financial advice.
Dr. Semenya Mosupye-Semenya’s 3 day Swiss itinerary
The week began with a visit to the Swiss Digital Leadership Forum, where Dr. Mosupye-Semenya and Prof. Dr. Bettina Schneider presented their joint research in a dedicated round-table session.
As part of her visit to Switzerland for the TPH Finfluencing Project , Dr. Mosupye-Semenya also represented SwissAfricaCySec at the forum. The session provided an opportunity to share insights from a Swiss-South African perspective with practitioners and experts and to explore how their research can contribute to more trustworthy and secure digital transformation.
On Tuesday, Dr. Mosupye-Semenya and researcher and lecturer Franka Ebai visitet the Swiss TPH to present the TPH Finfluencing Project to external stakeholders.
Following the presentations and discussions, the duo continued the exchange over lunch with the team members of the Center for Digital Trust FHNW.
On Wednesday, Dr. Mosupye-Semenya, Prof. Dr. Bettina Schneider,
Prof. Dr. Petra Maria Asprion and Franka Ebai came together for an intensive working session on their ongoing research projects. The session provided an opportunity to exchange insights, discuss the next steps of the collaboration and further develop their research approach.
In the afternoon, Dr. Mosupye-Semenya and Franka Ebai co-led a focus group session exploring the public’s perceptions of and experiences with finfluencers. The session also served to validate the research methodology and generate insights for the next stage of the TPH Finfluencing Project while also strengthening the collaborative forces of SwissAfricaCySec.
Building bridges through collaboration
Throughout the three-day visit, Dr. Mosupye-Semenya contributed not only her expertise to the TPH Finfluencing Project, but also represented SwissAfricaCySec, and strengthening the exchange between researchers and stakeholders across Switzerland and South Africa.
We would like to sincerely thank Dr. Mosupye-Semenya for an inspiring and productive week, for her valuable contributions to our research and for the open exchange throughout the visit.
