Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
07 December 2022 | Story Samkelo Fetile
Students from the UFS Department of Economic and Management Science
Students from the UFS Department of Economic and Management Science attend the British Council’s Innovation for African Universities (IAU) Programme.
The British Council’s Innovation for African Universities (IAU) Programme brings together universities across sub-Saharan Africa and the UK with organisations supporting sub-Saharan African ecosystems. The programme aims to grow universities’ capabilities for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.

Supporting youth social entrepreneurship

The Supporting Youth Social Entrepreneurship (SYSE) project is part of the IAU programme, and includes 24 projects (in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa) funded through the IAU programme. The SYSE project is being delivered by the University of the Free State (UFS) Centre for Development Support, working with Challenges Ghana and Scotland’s Glasgow Caledonian University. 

Professor Deidre Van Rooyen, Associate Professor at the Centre for Development Support, said, “The programme teaches students in terms of social justice, creating change in communities, and making a difference, which all aligns with our vision as UFS.” The project trained 50 students on aspects of social entrepreneurship, and groups of five were matched with 10 NGOs.  In this way the knowledge they gained was transferred to community projects. “Ultimately, these organisations are now able to become more self-sustainable.”   

Prof Van Rooyen added that the project benefits the UFS as it also touches on the University’s three main pillars. “Teaching, research, and engaged scholarship are what the UFS aspires to do and, through that, students can gain not only theoretical knowledge but practical and soft skills to assist with social changes in society. By working with NGOs and applying social entrepreneurial principles and practice to generate measurable and meaningful outcomes, students will improve (self-) employability and social impact experiences. Students will further obtain hard social and economic skills.”

She concluded that, “If we for example have trained 40 students through the project, as well as teaching programmes in 10 NGOs, just think what type of social impact we can create within the region – touching lives of children, vulnerable people, the elderly, youth, and more.” 


The University will learn later this month whether the British Council will award further funding to the project. 

News Archive

UFS NWU Intervarsity offers many firsts
2010-08-06

The Intervarsity between the University of the Free State (UFS) and North-West University (NWU) kicked off today.

“We are excited to present the 68th Intervarsity on our Main Campus in Bloemfontein and look forward to a weekend filled with various matches and events,” says Mr Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs at the UFS.

This year’s Intervarsity is boasting with a few new additions to the programme. “We have invited the other campuses of the NWU to join the Intervarsity and our Qwaqwa Campus was for the first time also involved. The additions to the programme include a major debating championship lead by our Debating Society as well as a Hip Hop event tomorrow afternoon,” says Mr Buys.

According to Mr Buys, this year as many as possible of the residences are involved in sporting events such as soccer, hockey, rugby and netball.

The UFS also made accommodation available to students from NWU in its residences and has re-introduced the Rag-Buddy-bus system to provide transport support to students who are attending private functions in Bloemfontein to ensure their safe return to the campus.

Mr Buys also indicated that: “Intervarsity should be a celebration of all aspects of student life and we aim to increase the variety of programmes and diversity of audiences that participate in our Intervarsity programmes.”

“All our students, staff and members of the public are invited to attend the various events and matches. I encourage you to be proud and worthy ambassadors of the university community,” he says.

Media Release:
Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (actg)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za 
6 August 2010

 

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