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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

Prof Melanie Walker to spearhead international organisation
2014-06-02

 
Prof Melanie Walker has just added another phenomenal achievement to her illustrious academic career. Members of the international Human Development and Capabilities Association (HDCA) have elected her to the leading role of Vice-President.

Founded in 2004 by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, the HDCA is a global community of academics and practitioners. Together, they seek to build an intellectual community around the ideas of human development and the capability approach. Ultimately, the association strives to drive these ideas into the policy arena.

With members living in over 70 countries world-wide, the HDCA promotes research across a wide field of disciplines. These range from economics, philosophy and development studies to health, education, law, government, sociology and more.

In her new role, Prof Walker will be working closely with the renowned philosopher, Prof Henry Richardson of Georgetown University, USA. He is currently President-elect of the association. “My election as Vice-President will enable me to work closely with Henry and the Executive Committee to build on the first successful decade of the association to strengthen its reach and responsiveness to researchers, practitioners and policy makers,” Prof Walker says. “It is a tremendous honour to have been elected and a wonderful challenge for the next three years, personally and professionally. It will also place a significant spotlight on the human development and capabilities research I am leading at the UFS.”

Annually, the HDCA organises an international conference. This year celebrates a decade of successful symposiums and will take place in Athens. Eight Kovsie graduate students and researchers from the UFS’s Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development have had their papers accepted.

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