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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

A Kovsie friend in need is a Kovsie friend indeed
2015-09-23


Several student organisations have recently started
initiatives to lessen the burden on needy students,
and on the broader community. It is because of
these initiatives that donations of food, commodities
and clothes reached the No Student Hungry (NSH)
Bursary Programme at the University of the Free State.
Photo: René-Jean van der Berg

Kovsie students have often showed that a friend in need is a friend indeed. Several student organisations have recently started initiatives to lessen the burden on needy students, and on the broader community.

It is because of these initiatives that donations of food, commodities and clothes reached the No Student Hungry (NSH) Bursary Programme at the University of the Free State.

The Rag Community Service and NSH offices are extremely grateful to students and staff for their selfless donations, also in respect of the difference these initiatives are making to Kovsies’ chances of having a better future.

The food and commodities will be distributed to the community, while the clothing donations are used for regular clothing sales in order to raise funds.

The food donations included a substantial donation from the support organisation, Gift of the Givers. The organisation heard about the NSH Bursary Programme and, due to the scope of the student-hunger problem, decided to become involved.

“This is an excellent initiative, and the passion with which it is driven motivated us to make a donation,” said Ms Emily Thomas, representative from Gift of the Givers.

Ms Karen Scheepers, Assistant-Director: Student Life responsible for Rag Community Service, said the recent donations and initiatives are proof that the Kovsie community really cares for each other.

“I found it amazing how willing students were to help and to give. From the moment we asked for help, students arrived at our offices with loads of stuff.”

 

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