Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
24 May 2021 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa
The 2021 Kovsie ACT Eco-vehicle race puts students’ sustainable energy and critical thinking skills to the test.

The University of the Free State (UFS) Division of Student Affairs’ (DSA) Director of Student Life, Dr WP Wahl, believes the knowledge and skills that students have gained through participating in the 2021 Eco-vehicle project will position them more optimally in the future world of work. “We are also tremendously grateful for the project funding received from merSETA; without their support, none of this would have been possible,” he remarked.

The Kovsie ACT Eco-vehicle race, in conjunction with the overall programme, was established to encourage students to learn more about the technology and logic behind sustainable energy sources and how this can influence the future global society.

This year’s events witnessed students competing according to their UFS residence teams, with Sonnedou, Legatum, Kestell (SonLeTell); Soetdoring, Beyers Naude, Arista (Soetbeyrista); and Roosmaryn, Kagiso, Karee (Kar-is-myn) ending in first, second, and third place respectively, obtaining the highest scores for the races they competed in.

Anton Calitz, Electrical Engineer in University Estates who was the announcer on the day, described the event as one that exceeded his wildest expectations. “From a sustainable energy point of view, the eco-vehicle race results really turned the tables, with lower energy usage per lap being successfully recorded – as anticipated,” he further added.

Andre van Wyk, Client Liaison Officer of merSETA (Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Seta) for the Free State and Northern Cape – as one of the sponsors of the innovative programme – extended warm congratulations to the UFS for hosting an outstanding event. He further applauded the university for its resourcefulness in virtually adding electronic media broadcasts to extend the event to the entire UFS community.

“The Kovsie ACT Eco-vehicle programme was eye-opening and exposed me to the broad field of electronics. It definitely came as a challenge – one I had not anticipated on that level, because at times I couldn’t even see what all the building was leading to, but I just had to put my mind and hands to work – it pushed me to think critically and creatively. I was honoured to have been part of this entire experience and I’m grateful to Anton and his team, as well as the Kovsie ACT office, for being a constant support structure throughout the process, as it was not easy.” 

These were the humble words of Sinegugu Sibisi, a University of the Free State (UFS) student who was part of the 2021 Kovsie ACT Eco-vehicle race, where sustainable energy was at the order of the day.

For more information about the Kovsie ACT eco-vehicle skills programme, email ACT at ACT@ufs.ac.za
 

 

News Archive

A & M Foundation to empower youth
2016-10-25

Description: ’Manapo UFS cross-country    Tags: UFS cross-country

Margo Fargo and Andricia Hinckemann,
the co-founders of the A & M Foundation.
Photo: Supplied

“Knowing that we are changing the lives of generations to come is motivation enough for me to wake up every day.”

These are the words of Andricia Hinckemann and Margo Fargo, the co-founders of the A & M Foundation. The foundation aims to empower young learners by providing greater platforms for social growth and development, allowing learners to be agents of change.

Going beyond textbook scopes

Andricia, a finalist of Miss Commonwealth 2016, is currently doing her Masters in Labour Law at the University of the Free State (UFS). Fargo is doing her Honours in BSc Consumer Science at the UFS. She is also the first princess for Miss Mamelodi Sundowns 2016 and a brand ambassador for Kalos Collections.

Margo says knowing it is no longer just about herself is more than enough to keep her going. “Be eager to learn beyond the scope of your textbooks and never limit yourself to your field of study,” she says.

Motivation to go the extra mile

The foundation specifically focuses on high school pupils, and helps build confidence among young adults in order that they become active social agents. “It’s about finding an identity irrespective of the circumstances you are in and developing townships to unlearn bad habits such as drug and alcohol abuse that have been instilled in these communities,” says Andricia.

Their main goal is to build something that is sustainable. “We want to go international and fund a group of high school pupils through tertiary education at any institution in the world.”

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