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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

Quadriplegic doctor obtains degree against all odds

2016-11-25

Description: Dr Swartbooi CUADS Tags: Dr Swartbooi CUADS

Dr Swartbooi faces each day with vigour and
resilience. Dr Swartbooi analyses images on
a screen in the Clinical Imaging Laboratory
at Universitas Academic Hospital.
Photo: Oteng Mpete

Life’s defining moments are when perseverance is rewarded. It is not easy to swim against the tide. However, for Dr Ambrotius Swartbooi from the University of the Free State’s Department of Clinical Imaging Sciences, it became his moment of glory. In 2006, Dr Swartbooi suffered a spinal injury from a near-fatal car accident which left him paralysed and a quadriplegic.

The strength to carry on

“You have one of two choices:
to lie down and give up,
or to pick yourself up”
—Dr Swartbooi

Dr Swartbooi spent close to six months, recovering from his injuries. “You have one of two choices: to lie down and give up or to pick yourself up,” said Dr Swartbooi. He would inspire other patients with similar injuries to reintegrate into society despite their new-found circumstances.

Fortunately, not all was doom and gloom; in 2007 Dr Swartbooi got married, and his wife has supported and inspired him to continue pursuing his dreams. Dr Swartbooi completed his undergraduate medical degree at the UFS, and in 2014 decided it was time to complete his studies and pursued an MMed specialising in Diagnostic Radiology.

To treat or not treat: that is the question

After all his trials and tribulations, Dr Swartbooi will be receiving his MMed Diagnostic Radiology degree at the UFS Summer Graduation ceremony in December 2016. His research focuses on intracranial aneurysm size interventions. He discovered that there were discrepancies between international standards for intervention and African standards for intervention.

The research inspects what should be treated and how it should be treated. He found there was a gap in African literature into the size of aneurysms.

Champion of survival: Where to from here?

“That’s a good question,” said Dr Swartbooi. “Slowly from here. I still need to work on getting my full accreditation from the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).” He plans to continue fuelling his passion for teaching. “There is no place better to teach than at an academic hospital.”

Dr Swartbooi commended the efforts of the Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS), which assisted him in writing all his exams. “I want to be able to make a fulfilling and lasting impact on people but also to give the best medical service that I can,” concluded Dr Swartbooi.

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