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Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences Dean’s Medal winners

09 October 2020 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath

EMS graduation — Jan Johannes van Niekerk and Pierré Ludwig Koekemoer

This year, two proud recipients of the Dean’s Medal were honoured during the 2020 UFS Virtual Graduation Ceremony. Jan Johannes van Niekerk received the award for the best results in respect of a Bachelor’s Degree in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (Bachelor of Accounting), and Pierré Ludwig Koekemoer was awarded the medal for the student who achieved the best results in respect of a Bachelor Honours Degree in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (Bachelor of Commerce Honours with specialisation in Marketing).

Jan Johannes van Niekerk

Prior to commencing his studies at the UFS, Van Niekerk attended Fichardt Park High School in Bloemfontein. Van Niekerk describes his time thus far as a student in the School of Accountancy as “nothing less than special”. He adds that “… the support from the lecturers is really great … every lecturer has always tried to help me to the best of their ability!”

His favourite subject is Financial Accounting, and his Financial Accounting lecturers inspired him to follow in their footsteps; accordingly, he became a Financial Accounting tutor in his second and third years of study. “As academic staff, we have come to know Johan as a pleasant and well-mannered, diligent, and hardworking student who pays attention to detail,” says Prof Frans Prinsloo, Director: School of Accountancy.

Johan is completing his BAcc Honours studies this year and will commence his training contract with Enslins Auditors in 2021 to qualify as a chartered accountant (SA).

Pierré Ludwig Koekemoer
“Pierré Koekemoer is one of the most decent young men I’ve met in years. Hardworking, diligent, and one of the most respectful and responsible people I know,” says Prof Brownhilder Neneh, Associate Professor in the Department of Business Management.

Pierre Koekemoer was identified as the Best Honours Student for 2019 in the School of Accountancy, as well as the student with the best Honours script. Koekemoer excelled during his Honours year, and successfully managed his responsibilities as student assistant/marker; he was also part of the City Lodge Marketing project that took place during the second semester.

The General Manager of the Fairview Hotel in Nairobi, Kenia, offered Koekemoer a short internship at the beginning of 2020, as he was impressed with his performance. Koekemoer could not accept the job, as he had obtained permanent employment and did not want to lose the position. “This also speaks of his integrity, as he had already committed to the company,” comments Prof Neneh.

News Archive

Fasset continues to fuel academic excellence at the UFS

2017-12-15

Programme Director: School of Accounting, Prof Hentie van Wyk, and
Dean: Economic and Management Sciences, Prof Hendri Kroukamp
excited about the unveiling of the Finance and Accounting Services
Sector Education and Training Authority (Fasset)
plaque at the School of Accounting.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

The School of Accounting on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) held an unveiling ceremony for a Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Fasset) plaque. The plaque was unveiled by UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, and Fasset CEO, Lesego Lebuso. This was in honour of Fasset’s partnership with the UFS and its contribution towards driving academic excellence through its Intrabas projects over the past few years.

Funding for teaching and learning initiatives
These projects support the development of black student enrolment and performance in Accounting Studies. During the previous year, Fasset gave the UFS R54 million in funding to support teaching and learning initiatives for 960 black Accounting students. These students were enrolled for BAcc, BCom(Acc), BAcc(Hons)/PGDipCA, and BCom(Hons in Acc)/PGDipGA studies. In the same year, a celebratory ceremony was held at the South Campus for 125 Fasset-funded students to celebrate their academic excellence.

Prof Hentie van Wyk, Programme Director: School of Accounting, said, “FASSET funding will give the Centre for Accounting (as it was then called) an opportunity to strengthen our current student-centred teaching model”. This seemed like a prophecy, because at the beginning of 2017, the class of 2016 BAccHons students achieved a 96% pass rate in the 2017 Initial Test of Competence (ITC) examinations of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

Millions contributed towards accounting degrees
In 2017, Fasset sponsored 114 students on the Bloemfontein Campus with full bursaries amounting to more than R20 million through the Intrabas bursary fund for degree qualifications in BAccHons, BComHons (Acc), BAcc, BComAcc and BComAcc Extended programmes, as well as the tutorial programme managed by the School of Accountancy. On the Qwaqwa Campus, Fasset has given more than R7 million worth of funding.

James Veitch, Senior Officer: School of Accounting, said, “A decision was made to rather fund less students so that they could be assisted with greater effect, and students who did not qualify for the bursaries, would still be assisted through the support programme.”

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