Rian Moolman says it is the wish and vision of the Kovsie
Alumni Trust that the help and assistance given to the
recipients’ of the bursaries will instil a sense of ubuntu
and plant the seed to contribute to future generations’
need for higher education. Here he is pictured with
Blouwillem Theron and Alzena Brink.
Photo: Supplied
Two hundred honours students at the university recently received bursaries to the total value of R2,4 million from T-Systems South Africa (TSSA), a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom.
The donation came about as a result of groundwork done by the Kovsie Alumni Trust (KAT) fundraiser, Blouwillem Theron, and chairperson of the trust, Rian Moolman.
Moolman says the reason why honours students were identified as beneficiaries, is because this group is often neglected when it comes to the funding of studies.
Endorse inclusive transformation
“The reality in South Africa is that there is simply more money available to fund undergraduate students, which is no doubt important for our economy. However, investing in postgraduate students is just as important. Higher education institutions are measured to a large extent by the quality of their postgraduates and their outputs. In essence, by investing in postgraduates, one is investing in the future of your higher education institution.”
TSSA’s contribution was made via its corporate social responsibility wing called the Nation Building Initiative, which aims to endorse inclusive transformation in South Africa through the promotion and implementation of skills and enterprise development, as well as job creation.
It so transpired that TSSA’s Nation Building Initiative perfectly aligned with KAT’s own Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP), which aims to utilise the university’s core functions – teaching and learning, research, and engaged scholarship – to train and mould students into globally competitive graduates.
Using skills to improve communities
“The privilege of higher education is unfortunately only available to a small percentage of our population,” says Moolman. “The students who received these bursaries completed their studies successfully and are now ready to contribute and use their knowledge and skills to improve their communities without the burden of debt. It is our wish and vision as the Kovsie Alumni Trust that their university experience and the help and assistance given to them will instil a sense of ubuntu and plant the seed to contribute to future generations’ need for higher education.”
Moolman says creating a positive university experience is essential when it comes to engaging with alumni in creating a strong future for any higher education institution.
“The Kovsie Alumni Trust is the most successful university alumni fundraising body in South Africa. Our purpose from the outset has been to get our beloved university’s alumni involved in raising funds for the benefit of its students. This has also been the key in acquiring this generous donation from TSSA. One of the strategic decision-makers in the company is a Kovsie alumnus, and by sharing with him our vision for creating similar opportunities to learn and advance for other students, this donation eventually came to fruition.”
Lucky Njele tells us how the bursary has added value to his life.