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MICT Seta Grant
The MICT SETA Journalism programme will give addition training to 20 Journalism students from the Department of Communication Science.
Student success is one of the key components in the Integrated Transformation Plan. Facilitated by a grant from the Media Information and Communication Technologies (MICT) SETA, the Department of Communication Science at the University of the Free State (UFS) is providing an additional training opportunity for its students with a programme for second-year journalism students. 

The MICT SETA Journalism Short Programme is a prestigious extracurricular opportunity. “The programme will provide additional exposure and training in specialist areas not necessarily covered in depth as part of the BA (Journalism) degree,” says Dr Willemien Marais, Programme Director: Communication Science. “Participation in this programme provides students the opportunity to build a portfolio to enhance their employability.” 

The SETA grant was acquired through an application made by the department with the assistance of Juanita Burjins Head: Leadership and Development Unit in the Human Resources Department at the UFS, and was signed earlier this year.

In-depth training 

The programme will entail short courses on writing, photojournalism, documentary filmmaking, entrepreneurship and personal development. 
“It gives us an opportunity to swim in an ocean where it feels you are drowning. I am very excited to have been chosen to be part of the programme,” says.Rene Robinson, a second-year Journalism student and one of 20 selected for the programme. They were selected based on academic performance as well as on the essay they wrote. 

Robinson says: “As a Journalism student you meet a lot of negativity about the degree you are pursuing and this programme offers a chance to elevate yourself.” 
Keamogetswe Mosepele, who is also part of the programme, adds: “I am really excited to see what it will deliver.” 

The programme specifically targets second-year students so these students, once in their final year, can share their experience through assisting a new cohort of first-year journalism students in various practical exercises, thus reinvesting in the department. They will also work at various media partners of the Department of Communication Science.

MICT Seta grant
From the left;  Nkonsinathi Gabuza, from the MICT Seta; Dr Willemien Marais; Prof Collin Chasi, Head of the Department Communication
 Science and Juanita Burjins. (Photo: Rulanzen Martin)

News Archive

Juan Odendaal invited to training camp in Switzerland
2015-10-19

Juan Odendaal recently in action at the UCI Paralympic World Cup
for road races in Pietermaritzburg.
Photo: Bertus Odendaal

Juan Odendaal from the University of the Free State (UFS) was invited to be part of a training camp in Switzerland, together with some of the world’s leading para-cyclists.

This first-year BA student was recently selected by the cycling body, Union Cyclist International (UCI), to attend the camp which will be held in Aigle from 2-12 November 2015.

Afterwards, Odendaal, who has been the junior South African champion in the C3 division in road races, time trials, and pursuit races, will travel to Manchester, England, where he will compete in a para-cycling event from 13-15 November 2015.

Recently, he took part in the senior division of the UCI Paralympic World Cup for road races for the first time, and has performed well. In this event, which was held in Pietermaritzburg, he competed against participants from countries including Germany, Australia, Spain, and Russia.

Odendaal on 11 September 2015 took eighth place in the road race and tenth place in the time trial. The road race takes place over 55 km and the time trial over 24 km.

Odendaal said he realised immediately that he was competing at senior level.

“There was a marked difference in the quality of the races,” he said, about the World Cup in Pietermaritzburg.

“It was much faster than I had expected. The average speed was 37,2 kilometres per hour.”

Odendaal also made his debut for South Africa in March of this year at the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. At this event, he finished in fifteenth place in both the time trials and the pursuit event.

Odendaal said his main goal is the World Championships, which will take place in Montichiari, Italiy, in March 2016. He is hoping to achieve good times there in order to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

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