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21 June 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Ernst & Young
UFS Accounting Students win EY Project Alpha
At the Ernst & Young Project Alpha 2019 Awards, some of the members of the winning team, from left: Kyle du Bruyn, Luke Rhode, Janri du Toit, Nicolaas van Zyl, Mojalefa Mosala (Business Ethics Lecturer), Bianca Malan, Lorandi Koegelenberg and Frans Benecke.
A few years ago the news was saturated with Volkswagen’s (VW) fuel emission scandal. “Dieselgate”. Investigations in the US found the German automaker guilty of programming computers in their diesel cars to alter its engine operations to seemingly meet legal emission standards.

A question of ethics

A notice of violation of the Clean Air Act issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency had dire consequences for the automobile company, but positive implications for the economy and the environment. As part of a lawsuit settlement, vehicles were recalled, fines were paid, and approximately 21 million affected vehicles with VW diesel engines were refitted by September 2015.

Project Alpha tackles ethical issues

A group of eight students from the University of the Free State (UFS) presented their case study of “Dieselgate” to a panel of judges in this year’s Ernst & Young Project Alpha competition. They emerged as the ultimate winners.

The “Hoaxwagen” group’s 10-minute video demonstrated “a critical assessment of a multidimensional matter”   captivating the judges. “I was impressed, because their presentation addressed other skills such as the ability to present, communicate, come out of their comfort zone and be innovative, while at the same time addressing an ethical issue,” said Mojalefa Mosala, a judge and Business Ethics lecturer at the UFS.

Centred on critical thinking

The UFS is the first university outside of Johannesburg that participated in the Project Alpha contest. Ernst & Young and the UFS have forged a strong relationship over the past few years, giving students a glimpse into the corporate world of accounting. 

“Project Alpha encourages critical thinking and not taking things at face value, by looking a bit deeper, spending time to understand the pros and cons of any situation in order to make an informed decision,” said Frans Benecke, member. of the winning team that prevailed over 82 others. Benecke’s team walked away with R2000 shopping vouchers and a life-long learning experience.

Engaging in global conversations 

Participation in the competition gave students the opportunity to be exposed to contemporary global thinking, which is strongly advocated in the UFS’s Integrated Transformation Plan.


UFS Accounting students win 2019 Ernst & Young Project Alpha competition from University of the Free State on Vimeo.

News Archive

Eusebius McKaiser delivers public lecture celebrating Library Week
2013-03-12

 

Eusebius McKaiser
Photo: Johan Roux
12 March 2013

The UFS Library and Information Services will celebrate South African Library Week with a public lecture by writer and political analyst, Eusebius McKaiser.

McKaiser, one of South Africa’s most influential figures, will speak about his book A Bantu in My Bathroom, his life, his love for reading and writing and the value of libraries.

Eusebius McKaiser is a political and social analyst at the Wits Centre for Ethics. He is also a top international debate coach, MC and public speaker, having been both former National South African Debate Champion and the 2011 World Master’s Debate Champion. His analytical articles are widely published in South African newspapers and he has a weekly column in the New York Times. He holds Law and Philosophy degrees from Rhodes and Oxford Universities

Thursday 14 March 2013
Mabaleng Auditorium (opposite the Faculty of Education)
17:00

Library week is celebrated annually in the third week of March with a different theme for each year. The main idea behind library week is to promote and increase awareness of the importance and the place that libraries hold in the broader community. The theme will also provide us with an opportunity to bring to the attention of the country and our leaders the role that libraries play in educating communities and the nation.

This year’s theme is “Educate yourself @ your library through displays and events.”

Enquiries: Marcus Maphile at +27(0)51 401 9393 or Maphilelm@ufs.ac.za

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