Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
29 October 2020 | Story Linda Dhladhla

The national Student Entrepreneurship Week is the best empowerment platform for students aspiring to become entrepreneurs. Students enrolled in higher education institutions need to appreciate more than ever before that employment post-graduation is not a given.  COVID-19 dampened South Africa’s growth prospects to worse levels than those predicted in 2019.  Students must therefore strive to equip themselves with the basics of entrepreneurship, so as to identify solutions to society’s most pressing challenges now, by participating in economic activities while studying. 

These are remarks by Dr Norah Clarke, Director of Universities South Africa’s Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme.  In the week leading up to the national Student Entrepreneurship Week (#SEW2020) that commences on Monday 2 November, Dr Clarke explained why students must take entrepreneurial initiatives at their universities seriously in general, and in particular, why they must do their utmost to participate in the week-long #SEW2020 event from 2 to 4 November 2020.

For the first time since this event was established in 2017, the EDHE programme will be hosting #SEW2020 as a combined national and multi-institutional event. Twenty-one institutions will be sharing one common programme that runs from Monday, 2 November and wraps up on Thursday, 5 November.  As was done with the EDHE Lekgotla 2020, the #SEW proceedings will be livestreamed on the Whova app.  

According to Dr Clarke, this enables anyone to see what each of the 21 public universities and 3 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges will be showcasing – in a rare opportunity never seen before in this particular context.  The opening ceremony of the virtual #SEW2020 will be hosted from the University of the Free State (UFS).
In addition to the morning’s welcome addresses, the day is dedicated to showcasing how the UFS Business School collaborates with the local business and banking sector in driving entrepreneurship for the common good.  A speaker from the Central University of Technology will add a research perspective on entrepreneurship.   To further unravel its entrepreneurship strategy and narrate how academics encourage innovation and support student enterprises, the UFS will showcase how academic support got 11 tangible business projects off the ground.  The audience will also hear first-hand from the studentpreneurs behind these projects how the university assisted them in their respective journeys from ideation through commercialisation to the market. 
 
Participate and engage through the Whova app and the 

More information: www.edhe.co.za

News Archive

Qwaqwa Campus welcomes new Head
2013-04-17

 

Prof Prakash Naidoo
Photo:Thabo Kessah
17 April 2013


   Welcoming video

The Qwaqwa Campus welcomed its new Head in the person of Prof Prakash Naidoo. Prof Naidoo, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Finance (Resources and Planning) at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), received a very warm welcome from the staff, students and the Eastern Free State community.

In response to his welcoming, Prof Naidoo thanked among others, his predecessor, Dr Elias Malete, for his leadership of the campus, as well as the Head: Operations, Teboho Manchu and the Head: Academic, Dr Elsa Crause, for their support during his first few days on campus.

“I am elated to be joining an institution that is serious about transformation. There is still a lot of work ahead to make this campus the best,” said Prof Naidoo.

“Positive vibrancy exists here and all of us must begin to think about how we can multiply the effect to make it even better.”

“This year the campus is celebrating its tenth year in existence as part of the University of the Free State and we have accomplished much in this time. However, there is still a lot to accomplish in the next 10 years. We need progressive change. Let us all look ahead, but let us never forget the past.”

“Today’s students live with greater complexities, like watching too much TV and reading less. They need more counselling and guidance. In my book, students come first. Academic business comes first.”

Prof Naidoo expressed his optimism in working with all internal and external stakeholders.

“I am a team player and we must all develop a working plan for this campus,” Prof Naidoo said.

The welcoming was attended by members of the Council and the Rectorate.

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