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2023 Ernst Mach Grant recipient from the UFS

16 August 2023 | Story Rorisang Ramorena | Photo Supplied

Michael Skosana, a student on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Ernst Mach Grant scholarship exchange programme at the University of Applied Sciences in Austria.

Skosana, currently pursuing his honours in Financial Economics and Investment Management at the UFS, aspires to pursue not only his master's qualification but also his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) levels and regulatory exams and ultimately pass his board exams. Skosana is set to leave on 30 August to start the semester on 1 September 2023.

About the grant

The Ernst Mach Grant is a program aimed at students from non-European universities who wish to spend a semester or two at an Austrian University of applied sciences. The Austrian Ministry of Science and Research offers the Ernst Mach Grant to students with non-European citizenship who plan to take up exchanges at an Austrian university.

According to its 2023 – 2028 internationalisation strategy, the UFS aims to integrate international and intercultural dimensions into the university's being, including the formal and informal curriculum. The Office for International Affairs (OIA) enables such comprehensive internationalisation, and specifically its International Scholarships portfolio, under the leadership of Mbali Moiketsi, contributes by liaising with funding bodies for mobility, sharing information about possible opportunities, and supporting students through the process.

The responsibility of the OIA is to ensure that students and staff are exposed to intercultural opportunities as part of their learning curriculum through information sharing. The OIA partners and works with international funding agencies to bring the information to the students and staff and support them through the process.

Skosana's motivation to study abroad is to challenge himself on the spectrum of finance, to learn more about the Austrian and South African economies, and, hopefully, to work in Europe and gain insight before returning home to change the financial landscape of South Africa. He added that “the acquired skills will empower and develop the South African financial economy and educate South Africans on financial literacy, investments, and any financial goals they seek knowledge about.”

Furthermore, Skosana encourages students to be more open to knowledge and international experiences by participating in such opportunities. He emphasizes that “students should always want to broaden their intercultural and global competencies beyond academics.”

For more information related to scholarships and opportunities, contact Mbali Moiketsi at the following email moiketsimv@ufs.ac.za

News Archive

Gastroenterology Unit works to bring a transformative impact to healthcare

2016-11-21

Description: Gastroenterology Unit Tags: Gastroenterology Unit

Dr Rita Nathan, Acting CEO of Universitas Hospital,
Prof Willem Kruger, Acting Head of the
School of Medicine, and Prof Jan van Zyl,
Head of Department of Internal Medicine.
Photo: Nonsindiso Qwabe

The departments of Surgery and Internal Medicine at the University of Free State launched the newly upgraded Gastroenterology Unit of the Universitas Academic Hospital on 8 November 2016. Realising the need to provide state-of-the-art equipment that caters for various health needs, the unit has acquired new pieces of equipment worth R7 million. Through the equipment, a move towards the digital revolution, the unit hopes to bring about a transformative impact on healthcare service delivery in central South Africa and its surrounds.

Upgraded unit will make a difference on burden of diseases
Dr Rita Nathan, Acting CEO of the Universitas Hospital, said the increase in the number of scopes, and the improvement in technology, will facilitate improved service delivery to the community of the Free State and beyond. “This upgrade will enable the unit to make a tremendous dent in the burden of diseases in the communities we serve.”

Unit a unique feature in central South Africa
Serving a population from the Free State, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Lesotho; the growing demand of health services has led to an increase in the number of patients treated by the unit. This unit is unique in central South Africa as the only one providing endoscopic intervention for cases like gastrointestinal bleeding. It is also the only 24-hour gastroscopic service available in the state sector.

Improved service delivery linked to enhanced training platforms
Prof Willem Kruger, acting head of the School of Medicine, said that the upgrading of equipment will have an immense impact on not only service delivery, but also on training platforms in the latest technologies. “It important, as a university, that our doctors have the latest technology at their disposal to facilitate training. If training improves, service delivery improves. The two on inextricably linked.” he said.

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