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11 October 2018 | Story UFS | Photo Zama Feni
UFS launch student business incubator project
Rector and Vice-Chancellor Francis Peterson cutting the ribbon as the office of Student Business Incubator Project was officially opened last Friday.
The University of Free State has recently launched a Student Business Incubator Project that will provide impetus to students with business ideas.

The initiative, which is under the management of the Directorate for Research and Development (DRD) was conceived a few years ago with objective of untapping the entrepreneurial potential of students. 

And it was on Friday last week that all the energy and efforts that were directed towards the planning of this project culminated into the official launch and opening of the offices where the students will conduct their business operations.

Generate new business ideas

Delivering a brief address at the launch, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen encouraged students to generate new business ideas that would make them job creators at the end of the day. 

“As a university, we should disseminate our output to society through research, education and technology transfer. The Incubator Project is a good initiative and I would like to see it growing so that more students can benefit from a facility such as this,” he said. 
Professor Petersen encouraged the student innovators to engage society so that they can make quality of life better through new knowledge.

“You must continue to incubate ideas and develop them,” he said adding that one of the great things that a university is measured about is the employability of its graduates.

Business ideas awarded 
On the previous day, DRD hosted a pitching competition for the business ideas that students were invited to submit.

Assistant Research Officer and Project Manager, Ayanda Makhanya said they were excited about the outcome of their call to students as they received an overall total of 60 ideas.

“We screened all the inputs and came up with 14 ideas. We will now be working with these students to provide the necessary support,” she said.

The winner in the pitching competition was an LLB student Mannini Setai whose idea was the production of eco-friendly bricks.

The office are located near the UFS Sasol Library and has computers and a big flat screen.

News Archive

Qwaqwa Campus: Student off to Germany
2004-04-01

Abey Tau will be traveling to Germany in mid- August to attend an international conference under the auspices of AISEC.
Born and bred in the dusty streets of Riverside in Phuthaditjhaba, an avid reader and student activist, Abey is rapidly ascending to greater heights.

He is presently studying towards completion of his B. Admin degree at the University of the Free State Qwaqwa campus and has also been to Switzerland in the recent past.

Describing the experience, Abey said “being away from home, the influence of culture, tradition, friendship and the local environment opened my eyes to another perspective that I did not know existed before I took a step looked out of my country and at it from another angle”. He believes it will be refreshing to interact with students from across the globe and share thoughts with them.

“Ability is what you are capable of doing, motivation determines what you do and attitude determines how well you do it” Tau said, beaming confidence and enthusiasm. When the opportunity to visit Germany presented itself, he approached the office of the Coordinator of Student Affairs for assistance. Communication with the Office of the Vice Rector, Dr. Ezekiel Moraka led to the realization of Abey’s dream when funds were acquired to assist him. He will become an ambassador for his organization, the university and the country at large. We are therefore proud and wish him well.

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