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Kofi Yinkah recognised by Hesselbein Academy as global student leader

04 September 2019 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Xolisa Mnukwa

Koffie Yinkah — “I believe the Hesselbein Global Academy annual fellowship programme was vital for me as a potential public servant of South Africa to serve the people of this country in government one day.” – Kofi Yinkah

University of the Free State (UFS) third-year BAdmin student, Kofi Annan Yinkah, formed part of the Hesselbein Global Academy annual fellowship programme, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh in the United States of America (USA). Originally from the East Rand in Johannesburg, Kofi represented the UFS as one of the top-50 students who were selected out of 450 global applicants.

The Hesselbein Global Academy annual fellowship programme aims to connect young leaders from all over the world with well-equipped professionals who are leaders in the fields of business, government, and education. This programme was established for the purpose of cultivating and producing cadres who will become experienced ethical leaders, armed and qualified enough to address and solicit solutions for critical issues experienced by diverse societies throughout the world.

“The fellowship covered topics that have helped to broaden my critical thought processes and concerns about societal issues in our country and all over the world. It has also emphasised the importance of implementing change through effective governing-policy development and establishment,” Kofi says.

He describes his experience at the fellowship as “out of the ordinary,” and believes that it has had a progressive influence on his life. He explains how it has unlocked his mind through enlightened engagement with student leaders from various countries in the world, including Nigeria, England, Canada, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam, China, United States of America, and Ireland.

One of the most important tools he believes his experience has equipped him with, is understanding the significance of employing a solution-driven approach to various situations. He is confident that this will give him the necessary skills and knowledge to work effectively in teams.

Kofi explains that he found out about the fellowship programme via social media. He encourages UFS students to use online platforms to source information about opportunities that can offer them meaningful experiences for learning and growing.

News Archive

Two from the UFS selected to participate in USA transformation leadership programme

2009-11-29

Dr Choice Makhetha, Acting Dean of Student Affairs, and Prof. Aldo Stroebel, Director of International Affairs at the University of the Free State (UFS), have been selected by the US Embassy to participate in a Transformation and Diversity in Higher Education Leadership Programme in the USA during January and February 2010. Following a selection process in South Africa, Dr Makhetha and Prof. Stroebel are two of only five candidates selected, and the UFS is the only university in South Africa with two candidates.

Participants will meet with American scholars and experts on diversity in higher education, and visit various equity and diversity programmes at academic institutions. Discussions will focus on the real organisational implications of diversity, leadership, and changing the climate of an institution.

The programme will include investigations of campus diversity initiatives, public spaces and social forums where difficult dialogues about tolerance and social and cultural consciousness are facilitated in order to achieve acceptance and transform deep-rooted racial and ethnic conflicts. These dialogues will introduce future leaders to the practice of systematic dialogue as part of an effort to build constructive relationships.

Both Dr Makhetha and Prof. Stroebel have been involved in the conceptualisation and establishment of the Reitz Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice launched during November 2009, by inter alia facilitating the inclusion of four senior Fulbright specialists that will visit the UFS in 2010 to advise on transformation issues.

Photo: Supplied

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