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26 August 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Supplied
Katleho Nkosi
Katleho Nkosi’s design, which won him second place in the national design competition during the Student Entrepreneurship Week 2022.

Katleho Nkosi, a fourth-year Education student at the University of the Free State (UFS), obtained second place in a national design competition hosted virtually by Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE). 

The national design competition formed part of the launch of the Student Entrepreneurship Week 2022, which took place at the University of Venda on 18 August 2022. As such, students from many of the universities in the country, including Nkosi, took part in designing a poster that would be used to advertise the event. 

Nkosi is delighted and excited about this accomplishment. “This win was really surprising and unbelievable for me, because obtaining the second-place position means that my work is good,” said Nkosi.

The participants were allowed to conceptualise and submit their final product between 28 June and 15 July 2022. “I had no experience in this space, I only designed content for fun, and I participated in this competition because I was motivated by a friend,” Nkosi highlighted. 

Click to view document  Click here to view poster in full size.


The motivation behind the design

Since the Student Entrepreneurship Week was held at the University of Venda, Nkosi used the vibrancy and colourfulness of Venda as inspiration for his design. “When I was designing the poster, the only thing on my mind was making sure that I put something together that was related to Venda,” he explained. In addition, the theme for the Entrepreneurship Week was ‘Move to Market’, and Nkosi asserts that he tried to integrate the theme with Venda, and this is how the design came about.

The outcome of the competition and future plans

Although Nkosi did not win the competition, he did receive a cash prize for being among the top three. Furthermore, given his accomplishment, Nkosi would like to take part in many more design competitions moving forward. “Now that I have realised that I have the potential to win, I think I can take this as a career path in the future,” he said. Nkosi is also looking at merging his love of teaching with his newfound love for design. “I’m going to try and find the connection between design and education, because I really love to teach, so I could perhaps become a design teacher,” Nkosi expressed

News Archive

Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation Studies produces a literary hat trick
2015-12-17

Description: Samantha book cover Tags: Samantha book cover

Three scholars. Three books. One research unit.

Two post-doctoral fellows and a PhD student from Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation (TFR) Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS) have each achieved author-status. During December 2015, Drs Samantha van Schalkwyk and Kim Wale, as well as Naleli Morojele will have their books on the shelves.

Description: Naleli Morojele book cover Tags: Naleli Morojele book cover

Dr Van Schalkwyk, PhD in Psychology (UFS, 2014), is leading co-editor of the book A Reflexive Inquiry into Gender Research: Towards a New Paradigm of Knowledge Production & Exploring New Frontiers of Gender Research in Southern Africa. The book is a product of an international symposium she organised in 2013. Dr Van Schalkwyk has made prolific contributions during her three years at the UFS: speaking at two international conferences, and publishing her research in internationally-accredited peer-reviewed journals. In addition, she is also heading a major research project on Gender Reconciliation, based at the university.

Dr Wale is a graduate of the University of London with a PhD (2013) in post-conflict development. Her forthcoming book, South Africa's Struggle to Remember: Contested Memories of Squatter Resistance in the Western Cape is based on her doctoral research. Now that Dr Wale’s book is finished, she will be working with Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela on the analysis of research data collected for a study on transformation – as well as resistance to it – in students’ residences.

 Description: Kim Wale book cover Tags: Kim Wale book cover

Naleli Morojele received her Master of Arts in African Studies in 2014 from the UFS. Her dissertation research was on women political leaders in post-conflict countries, with data collected in South Africa and Rwanda. The review comments on her thesis prompted her to consider turning her research into a book. She spent seven months on this project with support from a global network of mentors affiliated with TFR Studies. The product is the book, Women Political Leaders in Rwanda and South Africa: Narratives of Triumph and Loss. Morojele is currently a PhD candidate. Her study focuses on university women, and explores women’s gender identity in the post-apartheid context.

“I am very excited about the work that these young women have produced,” says Prof Gobodo-Madikizela. “Dr Van Schalkwyk has already been invited by Palgrave Macmillan to consider a contract with the publisher to turn her PhD thesis into a book. It is going to be a very busy and productive year for her.”

A bumper book launch in mid-January 2016 is in the pipeline.

 

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