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21 August 2019 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Thabo Kessah
Keafon Jumbam
Keafon Jumbam is gearing herself for the institutional Three Minute Thesis competition.


Keafon Jumbam is a PhD candidate whose research on food and foxes has won her the first prize of R8 000 in the recent Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences’ Postgraduate Flash Fact Competition. Her brief in the competition was to summarise her research in three minutes, using only one static slide.

“The competition started at departmental level on both campuses. The idea was that the best student in each department is then selected to go for the faculty-level competition on the Bloemfontein Campus. Summarising the entire research into three minutes is no easy feat, but a great way to gauge how well one has mastered your work,” she said.

Far-reaching research

“Thought-provoking presentations on research, ranging from technology to track academic progress, traditional medicine as alternatives to expensive prescriptions, and suggesting insects as food alternatives to curb hunger in this era of severe droughts and food shortages. The competition was tough, but it highlighted the level of research competitiveness on the Qwaqwa Campus. I hope that more students will join in such opportunities to build themselves up and to showcase our research output as Qwaqwa students,” added Jumbam from the Department of Zoology and Entomology.

Institutional finals

Her next challenge is the institutional competition to be held on 23 August 2019, which could qualify her for the national competition.


News Archive

Vusi Thembekwayo enthrals Kovsies
2016-08-18

Description: Vusi Thembekwayo  Tags: Vusi Thembekwayo

Vusi Thembekwayo delivered an impressive
lecture at UFS

Kovsies students and aspiring entrepreneurs who attended Vusi Thembekwayo’s Like a Boss: Show me the Money lecture will certainly agree that he is indeed the “Rockstar of public speaking”.

Through his sublime oratory skills, blended with flagrant humour, the seasoned serial entrepreneur captivated the capacity audience at the University of the Free State’s EBW Auditorium.

The lecture’s main purpose was for the 31-year-old - who has already achieved immense success in business - to offer valuable business advice and financial literacy. And he did just that.

Thembekwayo explained how innovation has always been driven by necessity. He also mentioned why he believes black people were struggling to build or grow sustainable businesses in the country.

“There is no black capital in SA. There are no schools to teach black people how to start businesses,” Thembekwayo said.

He said black people often opted out of their societal problems in spite of being conscious of them. This was a reference to the visible trend of black people who pursue success for their own personal enrichment.

For the country to solve these problems, amongst many others, Thembekwayo stressed that a labour absorptive economy, which also creates entrepreneurial opportunities, is essential.

Mechanical engineer and World Economic Forum (WEF) Innovator of the Year Award recipient, Nneile Nkholise and Dr Johan van Zyl, from the UFS Centre for Development Support were guest speakers at the event.

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