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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

A model of resilience – Dr Anja Botha probes into the ability to recover from trauma

2014-12-02

She may have been awarded her doctorate degree only in July 2014, but Psychology lecturer at the University of the Free State (UFS), Dr Anja Botha, is already making a name for herself with her latest research.

Her study aims to develop a model of resilience for South African adolescents exposed to trauma. “The broad field, within which I work, is that of Developmental Psychology, with a specific focus on child and adolescent development and therapy,” says Dr Botha.

Resilience studies are situated within Developmental Psychology since normal developmental tasks – such as achieving self-confidence and building supportive relationships – contribute greatly to children’s resilience. Resilience broadly refers to the individual’s ability to ‘bounce back’ after being exposed to adversity.

“The model of resilience which I compiled was a good fit for my participant group, indicating that the model explains the development of resilience in these adolescents well. The factors that I found to promote resilience in the South African context include various coping skills, intra- and interpersonal strengths, family involvement, and school engagement.

“Thus, aside from my passion for resilience studies, I am also very much interested in coping, strength-based interventions, parental guidance and school-based programmes.”

Dr Botha was awarded a Donald J Cohen fellowship in August 2014 during the 21st World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists and Allied Professions. The fellowship is in recognition of her work as an emerging international scholar in the field of child and adolescent mental health. This award was based on both her research as well as her involvement in the training of postgraduate students in child psychology.

She is currently supervising a number of master’s students’ research on various constructs related to resilience.

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