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28 June 2019 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa
UFS Thought Leader series
The 2019 UFS Thought-Leader Series explores techniques of renewal and solutions for economic growth and entrepreneurship as an instrument of development for South Africa.

The University of the Free State (UFS), in cooperation with Vrye Weekblad, will present the second consecutive Thought-Leader Series as part of the Vrystaat Arts Festival on Thursday 4 July in the Economic and Management Science Auditorium (EBW Auditorium) on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.

As a higher-education institution, the UFS deems itself responsible for contributing to local and national public discourses by assembling industry experts to deliberate on imperative topics that affect students, the broader community, and the country in one way or another. 

Topic of discussion for 2019 Thought-leader series 

In 2019, the UFS Thought-Leader series unpacks Economic Growth and Entrepreneurship for a Growing South Africa in the form of two concentrated panel discussions which will address the questions, ‘How can we fix the South African economy and create jobs?’ and ‘How can we establish a pro-youth entrepreneurship strategy for South Africa?’ respectively.

Expert panellists to discuss economic growth and entrepreneurship

Editor of the Vrye Weekblad, Max du Preez, will be facilitating discussions between panellists. The following panellists will participate in the first panel: Executive Director at the Centre for Politics and Research and political commentator, Prince Mashele; Vice-Dean (Strategic Projects) of the UFS Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Prof Philippe Burger; Director and Chief Economist at the Efficient Group, Dawie Roodt; and Chief Economist at Investec, Annabel Bishop.  

Chief Executive Officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Maryana Iskander; Senior Banker at the Rand Merchant Bank, David Abbey; and Head of the UFS Department of Business Management, Prof Brownhilder Neneh, will form part of the second panel. 

Details about the event:

Date: 4 July 2019

Time: 10:00
Panel 1: How can we fix the South African economy and create jobs?’ 

Time: 12:00
How can we establish a pro-youth entrepreneurship strategy for South Africa?’ 

Venue: Economic and Management Sciences Auditorium (EMS Auditorium), UFS Bloemfontein Campus

More information: +27 51 401 3422 or news@ufs.ac.za
 

News Archive

Work clouds and rhizomatic learning – Prof Johannes Cronjé teaches through technology in inaugural lecture
2014-09-29

Prof Johannes Cronjé 

Prof Johannes Cronjé has been appointed as visiting professor in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning. The driving force behind his appointment is to develop young and upcoming scholars in the field of online and blended learning at our university.The title of Prof Cronjé’s inaugural lecture, ‘Tablets, Painkillers or Snake Oil – a Remedy for Education?’ suggested a compelling event. Prof Cronjé did not disappoint.

“We live in a world where we carry more information in our pockets than in our entire head,” Prof Cronjé remarked. Interesting fact: an iPhone 4 has 16 million times more processing power than the Apollo 11 – the spacecraft that put the first man on the moon.

If students carry this much processing power in their hands, what should we be teaching students? Prof Cronjé asked. “I believe the answer to that is: we should be teaching them to teach themselves.”

Presenting his inaugural lecture in the same way as he would to his students, Prof Cronjé had the entire audience within minutes vigorously participating in the event.

Prof Cronjé advocates a process called rhizomatic learning. Knowledge, he explained, grows in a similar way to rhizomes’ roots – inseparably connected and seemingly without beginning or end. “Learning is a social aspect: people learn from one another.”

Making use of freely-available online applications, Prof Cronjé demonstrated the power of technology in the classroom. “My objective is to use technology to make people enthusiastic and motivated about the learning process.” Using their smartphones, tablets and laptops, the audience could effortlessly participate through connecting to each other by means of a virtual work cloud. “Knowledge is being created in the room as it happens,” Prof Cronjé explained, “motivating you to participate in this learning experience.”

“There are three things you need for group work to be successful: a mutual goal, individual responsibility and positive interdependence. Then it is real cooperative learning,” Prof Cronjé concluded.

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