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Building closer ties with industry to achieve student success

15 March 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Rulanzen Martin

IAC members — The IAC from left; Dr Ivor Zwane, Reneë Beck, Gus Silber, Luhlumelo Toyana, Dr Adri van der Merwe, Nick Efstathiou, Avela Ntsongelwa, Prof Colin Chasi, HOD Communication Department, Alzane Narrain, Nomvo Bam and Dr Gustav Puth.

Building ties with industry experts provides greater prospects for bursaries, prizes for top students, as well as informal internships. This is why the Department of Communication Science at the University of the Free State (UFS) took the bold and commendable step of soliciting the expertise of an Industry Advisory Council (IAC).

“As a department we believe it is important to stay in touch with the industry to ensure that we, and the work we do, stays relevant in order to increase the chances of making our students preferred candidates in the workplace,” said Dr Adri van der Merwe, lecturer at the department.

The advisory panel consisted of Reneë Beck, founder and CEO of Pink Lemon; Nick Efstathiou, newly appointed CEO of Central Media Group; DDr Ivor Zwane, chairman of the board for Small to Medium Enterprise Development; education journalist Gus Silber; journalist Alzane Narrain; Dr Gustav Puth, Academic Director of Post-Graduate Executive Education at Monash South Africa; photographer Luhlumelo Toyana; Avela Ntsongelwa,master's student and Nomvo Bam.

The initiative also created a platform for the students to engage with IAC members. The Department hosted the IAC on 6 March 2019 on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.

Advice to assist in improving curriculum

“The IAC members’ feedback will influence our curriculum, both in the short term when we begin to shift emphasis on certain matters, as well as in the longer term when we replace or expand on specific modules,” Van der Merwe said.

The advice given by IAC members will be taken very seriously. “We have captured all their input on video, and will now, in preparation for our strategic planning session later this year, analyse and prioritise the actions we need to implement their proposals.” she said. The students are also represented on the IAC in order to hear and take into consideration what the students have to say about how the curriculum can be improved to prepare them more effectively for the workplace.

The department plan on hosting the IAC yearly.

Elbie Lombard, lecturer in the Department and Lihlumelo Toyana

Nick Efstathiou listening to Dr Ivor Zwane (right)

Students listening to the panel talk about trends in Communication Industry

Prof Colin Chasi, HOD of the Department Communication Science with Gus Silber

The IAC members during Q&A session with students

Alzane Narrain with Dr Adri van Der Merwe and Prof Francis Petersen

Students from the Department Communication Science

Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor with Dr Adri Van Der Merwe and Avela Ntsongelwa

News Archive

UFS honours many during Autumn Diploma and Graduation Ceremony

2006-04-06

The University of the Free State (UFS) will award 857 diplomas and 2 579 degrees on 21 April 2006 and from 24-26 April 2006 during this year’s autumn diploma and graduation ceremony. Students from the Main Campus and Vista Campus will take part in the ceremony.

Altogether 35 doctorates and two honorary doctorates will be awarded. The honorary doctorandi are Mr Pieter Cox (Ph D (hc)) and Mr Terry Moss (Ph D (hc)). Mr Cox is the non-executive chairperson of Sasol Limited and Mr Moss is General Manager: Generation Business Enhancement at Eskom.

On 21 April 2006 at 08:30 altogether 347 diplomas in all the faculties (except the upgrading programmes in the School of Education) will be awarded. On the same day at 14:30 altogether 361 degrees in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (excluding B Acc, B Admin, B Pub and related honours, master’s and doctor’s degrees) will be awarded.

On 24 April 2006 at 08:30 altogether 510 diplomas will be awarded in the School of Education (ACE, NPDE and CE). That same day at 14:30 altogether 314 degrees, one doctorate and one honorary doctorate will be awarded in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (i.e. B Acc, B Admin, B Pub and related honours, master’s and doctor’s degrees). The honorary doctorate will be awarded to Mr Pieter Cox during this ceremony.

Mr Cox will be honoured for being the driving force behind Sasol’s global expansion and the subsequent listing of Sasol on the New York Stock Exchange. His passion and focus ensure that Sasol as a national asset is constantly making history, despite the sometimes hostile economic and environmental influences.

On 25 April at 08:30 altogether 325 degrees and 9 doctorates will be awarded in the faculties of Health Sciences, Law and Theology. That same day at 14:30 altogether 554 degrees, 13 doctorates and one honorary doctorate will be awarded in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. The honorary doctorate will be awarded to Mr Terry Moss during this ceremony.

Mr Moss is regarded as a modern-day South African industrialist. He will be honoured for his dedication to the provision of sustainable renewable energy to the citizens of South Africa and Southern Africa through the development and promotion of the hydroelectric power industry and other sources of renewable electrical energy.

On 26 April at 08:30 altogether 427 degrees and 5 doctorates will be awarded in the Faculty of the Humanities and that same afternoon at 14:30 altogether 598 degrees and 7 doctorates will be awarded in the School of Education.

Both the diploma and degree ceremonies will be held in the Callie Human Centre on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
5 April 2006

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