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Create to innovate to differentiate: Virtual Expo 2021

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

Miss World 2014 is a Kovsie

2014-12-14

Photo: Netwerk 24

The management, staff and students of the University of the Free State (UFS) are delighted with the naming of Rolene Strauss, third-year MB ChB student in the School of Medicine, as Miss World 2014.

Rolene was crowned as Miss World 2014 in London, United Kingdom, earlier this evening. The last time a South African was crowned Miss World was in 1974, when Anneline Kriel walked away with the title. Before her, Penny Coelen was crowned Miss World in 1958.

“Rolene represents the best of South Africa - a deep commitment to education and a profound compassion for human beings. Since the first day I met her as a new first-year medical student, I was aware of somebody special, a young woman from a rural area who carried herself with so much grace and confidence. She is truly without prejudice towards any human being and this has made her one of my allies in building the Human Project of the University of the Free State,” says Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.

“I was not at all surprised that she chose as her beauty-with-a-purpose project the task of keeping young girls in school; this is who she is, and if you observe her dedication to her medical studies, you see someone for whom studies and service are not the add-on obligations of the Ms World Pageant; it is who she is in real life,” he says.

“Rolene has proven herself to be a dedicated, hard-working and enthusiastic young woman. These are qualities which will make her an equally exceptional Miss World,” says Prof Gert van Zyl, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

According to Prof Van Zyl, Rolene interrupted her medical studies when she competed in the Miss South Africa pageant. “We are extremely proud of Rolene and will definitely welcome her back after her year as Miss World. She is an inspiration to us all,” he says.

According to Mosa Leteane, President of the UFS Student Representative Council (SRC), the entire student community is elated about Rolene’s crowning. “We know that she will continue to do great on her new journey. Her passion for people and kind spirit are some of the many beautiful traits that continue to make her an exemplary fellow Kovsie. We would like to congratulate her and wish all the best. She has really made us extremely proud,” says Leteane.

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