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28 February 2023 | Story Samkelo Fetile | Photo Supplied
Star of stars
UFS Student Recruitment Services Department staff with students who took part in the Star of Stars induction camp at the Letsatsi Game Lodge.

The 2022 cohort of the University of the Free State (UFS) Star of Stars programme were welcomed to the university with a special Star of Stars induction camp held at the Letsatsi Game Lodge in Smithfield in the Free State. The exclusive event was held to celebrate the top 10 students who made it into the 2022 cohort of the Star of Stars programme, which identifies and supports top-achieving learners from underprivileged backgrounds. 

Star of Stars is an initiative of the UFS Student Recruitment Services department to identify high-achieving Grade 12 learners from quintile 1 to 3 schools in all five districts of the Free State. 

Entries are evaluated in three categories, i.e. academic performance, leadership achievements, and community involvement. Ten finalists are selected after a rigorous judging and evaluation process. The competition opens opportunities for the finalists to excel academically through personal development, counselling, and mentorship.
The induction camp is a crucial part of this support system, and includes workshops on thriving in an academic environment, financial literacy, personal development seminars, and vision board sessions.

More than just a weekend of celebration

The students were treated to a fun-filled weekend away and rewarded with prizes such as branded clothing, stationery, and cash prizes. “These incentives were not just a way to celebrate their achievements but also to encourage them to continue striving for excellence. It was also an opportunity for the students to meet and connect with each other. They shared their stories, aspirations, and challenges. They also built networks and support structures that will help them succeed beyond the competition.” Said Teli Mothabeng, officer at the Student Recruitment Services department.

The Letsatsi Game Lodge was the perfect backdrop for this event, as the students had the opportunity to unwind and connect with nature, which was a much-needed break from the daily challenges they face in their communities. The environment also provided an ideal setting for introspection and goal-setting. The Star of Stars induction camp was a celebration of their achievements, and a vital part of their journey towards success. The Star of Stars competition aims to create a brighter future for underprivileged communities by identifying and supporting the next generation of leaders. The induction camp was a crucial step in this direction.

Applications for the Star of Stars competition for learners who are in Grade 12 in 2023 and are interested in studying at UFS in 2024 open on 1 April and close on 31 August 2023.

 

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News Archive

International human development practitioners gather at first HDCA conference in Africa
2017-09-18

Description: HDCA read more Tags: Human Development and Capability Association, University of Cape Town, HDCA conference, Prof Melanie Walker 

The first HDCA annual conference on African soil was held at
UCT from 6 to 8 September 2017.


The Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA) is a global community of academics and practitioners that seeks to build an intellectual community around the ideas of human development and the capability approach, and to relate these ideas to the policy arena and justice in the world. The association promotes research within many disciplines, ranging from economics to philosophy, development studies, health, education, law, government, sociology, and more. Members live in over 70 countries worldwide.

The HDCA’s conference is held annually; in 2017, the 17th international conference was held in Africa for the first time. Hosted by the Universities of Cape Town, the Free State (UFS), and the Western Cape, and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), the meeting was held in Cape Town from 6 to 8 September 2017. The conference attracted outstanding global scholars, such as Profs Ravi Kanbur (Cornell), Martha Nussbaum (Chicago), Ingrid Robeyns (Utrecht), and Jayati Ghosh (Jawaharlal Nehru University), among many others.

The conference theme was Challenging Inequalities: Human Development and Social Change, a particularly apt topic in the wake of Stats SA’s latest Poverty Report, which shows growing poverty and inequality in South Africa. Prof Melanie Walker, Director: Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development (CRHED) at the UFS, outgoing vice-president of the HDCA, and a member of the conference committee, led a group of researchers from CRHED, ten of whom were involved in presenting papers, while two former PhD students also presented their research. Overall, the quality of papers was very high, with Prof Nussbaum remarking that this was ‘the best HDCA conference’ she had attended.

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