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12 May 2021 | Story Ilze Bakkes
The COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa and the subsequent national lockdown severely impacted the usual physical open day mass-marketing tactic. At the same time, it provided an opportunity for the Department of Student Recruitment Services (SRS) to be super creative and agile in promoting the UFS offerings to the target audiences. 

Once a year, the UFS invites prospective learners and parents to visit our campuses for a taste of campus life. But for many interested students, especially those living remotely or abroad, a site visit is not always practical. Furthermore, the 2021 open days on the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses were again cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Virtual Open Day proved that breaking from the traditional recruitment tactics and moving into the virtual domain was not only bold and innovative, but also offered more engagement and communication opportunities with prospective students. Building on the insights and success of COVID-19 response engagements, the Department of Student Recruitment Services has once again developed an immersive virtual experience for prospective students. 

Ilze Bakkes, Chief Officer: Integrated Marketing and Innovation from the Department of Student Recruitment Services, says: “We listened to the needs and wants of our prospective students and staff. Therefore, the 2021 Virtual Expo will have undergraduate, postgraduate, and international student recruitment foci, offering more and relevant information in a visual, multi-layered, and digital way.” Information is presented through videos, photos, downloadable PDF brochures, and links to marketing material and the online application platform. 

A challenge during the physical open day is the lack of time to engage with faculties or that not all the information could be obtained. The Virtual Expo is live now click here and can be visited until 30 September 2021, when applications to study undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in 2022 close. The Virtual Expo offers a professional, easy-to-navigate and hassle-free digital experience of the academic, social, and cultural life at the UFS on all three campuses – in the convenience of the visitor’s own space and time. Subtexts for videos enable differently abled visitors to enjoy the content, and data-sensitive visitors can download the PDF versions of videos. 

Applications to study in 2022 are already open. To apply, click here (link to online application). For important closing dates, download the UFS Undergraduate Prospectus

For information on the Virtual Expo, contact Ilze Bakkes at +27 51 401 9028 or bakkese@ufs.ac.za.

News Archive

Agri-pedia a valuable tool for the farmer
2013-10-03

 

03 October 2013

Agri-pedia, an internet-based facility to assist the farmer in a whole array of topics, was launched at the university.

This ground-breaking new education tool was developed by die UFS in partnership with the private sector to bridge the gap between agricultural science and successful farming. Experience of more than a thousand years is pulled together in the project.

Topics vary from farm management and planning, market information, geographic information and maps, to beekeeping, flower production, the farm home and many more.

Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, said at the Agri-pedia launch it is a myth that education only happen in schools. At Nampo he was amazed to see the level of education on farms, done by farmers. “Another myth is that education is the task of government – there is a tardiness and lack of concern.

“You don’t change schools with government, but with partnerships. Agri-pedia will not be possible without partnerships.”

The launch of Agri-pedia happened against the background that food security in the world is under threat. About 840 million people are chronically experiencing malnourishment. Included in this figure are 200 million children under the age of 15 in the developing world. By 2020 nearly 70% of people suffering malnutrition will live in sub-Sahara Africa and in South Asia.

The agricultural sector must be assisted to shift from subsistence farming to sustainable food production and economic development.

For more information, visit www.agripedia.co.za or send an email to admin@agripedia.co.za.

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