Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

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

Future economic development lies in humankind’s ability to learn from nature

2015-09-30

We as humans have become more powerful than we are wise. We live in a world where there is an abundance of knowledge but less wisdom. ”These were the opening remarks of Edward Kieswetter, Group CEO at Alexander Forbes, and former Chairperson of the UFS Council, as guest speaker at the UFS Business School on 23 September 2015, on the subject of the future economic world order, and the vast amount of knowledge that humans possess. “The knowledge we possess has the potential either to develop us greatly, or put us at high risk of extinction,” he said.

Mr Kieswetter was accompanied by Dr Idriss Aberkane, a French thinker, entrepreneur, and academic, who is co-founder and CEO of Scanderia Ltd. Dr Aberkane spoke of three new concepts that the world is moving towards: Knowledge Economy, Biomimicry, and the Blue Economy. He said “humankind’s second renaissance is based on the knowledge economy.” He added that knowledge is infinite and prolific, with its global quantity doubling every 7 to 9 years. He added that “the combination of forms of knowledge grows exponentially and non-linearly.”

On the subject of Biomimicry, he said “nature is high-tech, we should read it rather than burn it.” High-tech companies, such as Samsung and Apple Inc are beginning to use Biomimicry to produce the most advanced technological gadgets, and even more companies are using the same, to advance the fields of medicine, agriculture, production of apparel, and sustainable development.

The session was attended by MBA students, student leaders, and members of the university community.

The guest speaker series forms part of the MBA programme held at the UFS Business School throughout the year.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept