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 July May June August September October November December
Previous Archive
18 May 2023 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Sonia Small
North College announced as the overall winner of 2023 Eco-Vehicle Race
Kovsie ACT hosted the sixth Eco-Vehicle Race, with North College announced as the overall winner for 2023.

Kovsie ACT at the University of the Free State (UFS) successfully presented the sixth Kovsie Eco-Vehicle Race on the university's Bloemfontein Campus on Saturday 13 May 2023, despite rainy and overcast weather. Students attending the affair – cheering on their favourite teams – added to the excitement and electrifying atmosphere of the event, which was streamed live across South African borders.

First-place finishers

The five colleges made up of the different residences on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus (North College, South College, East College, West College, and Central College) competed in this year's event, along with teams from the South and Qwaqwa campuses (with the Qwaqwa Campus entering two teams) and a newcomer, the Central University of Technology, which also entered two teams.

According to Dr WP Wahl, Director: Student Life, who welcomed everyone and also announced the winners of the different events, the university would like to expand the race in 2024 to include more tertiary institutions.

Temba Hlasho, Executive Director: Student Affairs, presented the trophies to the winning students.

Of the ten teams that competed this year, North College – comprising Madelief, Tswelopele, Vergeet-My-Nie, Veritas, and Welwitschia residences – was named the overall winner of the Kovsie Eco-Vehicle Race for 2023. Central College (Akasia, Kagiso, Karee, Soetdoring, and Wag-’n-Bietjie) won the Spirit Cup, while Qwaqwa Campus won the Smart Lap, using the least energy in a timed lap in which the drivers took the main track for the first time.

Besides being announced as the overall winner of the race, North College also took home the trophy in the Endurance Race, which was extended this year to cover 1 000 m and not 500 m as with last year’s event. In this leg of the race, the teams had 45 minutes to complete as many laps as possible while using the least amount of energy.

In addition, North College tied with Central College for first place in the Pitstop challenge, a competition that evaluated teams based on various criteria such as the tidiness of the pitstop area, team spirit, and safety measures.

Captivating artist performances organised by the Arts and Culture Office at the UFS added an extra layer of excitement to the race event.

Preparing for the world of work

Karen Scheepers, Assistant Director in Kovsie Support Services, who heads the Kovsie ACT initiative, reported that 520 undergraduate students have entered the Kovsie Eco-Vehicle Skills Programme over the past three years.

The race represents the last phase of a nine-month co-curricular skills programme. By participating, students acquire valuable skills that prepare them for the challenges of the world of work.

The programme also helps students understand how their decisions and actions affect the environment. It equips them with the knowledge to address complex environmental issues, which will help to preserve it for the future.

News Archive

SASOL TRAC laboratory launched at UFS Qwaqwa Campus
2006-05-08

Some of the guests attending the launch of the Sasol TRAC Laboratory at the University of the Free State's (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus were from the left Prof Peter Mbati (Principal of the Qwaqwa Campus), Mrs Zimbini Zwane ( Communications Manager of Sasol Infrachem), Prof Gerhardt  de Klerk (Dean : UFS Faculty of the Humanities), Prof Fred Hugo
 Director of TRAC SA) and Prof Jack van der Linde (Director of RIEP at the UFS).

SASOL TRAC laboratory launched at UFS Qwaqwa Campus

The Research Institute for Education Planning (RIEP) of the University of the Free State (UFS) today unveiled the Sasol TRAC Laboratory at its Qwaqwa campus.

The laboratory will be used to help grade 10, 11 and 12 learners and educators from the Qwaqwa region to conduct the experiments from the physical sciences outcome-based curriculum.

“The Sasol TRAC Laboratory introduces learners not only to the latest technology used by engineers and other scientists in practice but also to stimulate the learner’s interest in the field of science in such a way that more of them will enter into science related careers,” says Mr Cobus van Breda, Co-ordinator of the TRAC Free State Regional Centre.

According to Mr van Breda the newly established Sasol TRAC Laboratory will enable RIEP to train learners and their educators in Physical Sciences.  The laboratory will consist of six work stations equipped with computers and electronic sensors.

“Learners from the Qwaqwa region will visit the Sasol TRAC Laboratory on regular basis to conduct experiments based on the curriculum.  Data will be collected with electronic apparatus and presented as graphs on the computer so that results can be analysed and interpreted,” says Mr van Breda.

“There is a serious shortage of suitable qualified teachers in maths and science in the Qwaqwa region.  Many schools in the region are not yet part of the RIEP project and are in dire need of assistance.  A large number of these schools are in remote areas not reached regularly by intervention programmes,” says Prof Peter Mbati, Principal of the UFS Qwaqwa Campus.

“The establishment of the Sasol TRAC Laboratory at the Qwaqwa Campus provides us the opportunity to engage with our community and assist in the development and training of these vital education subjects.  We are pleased that Sasol agreed to fund the project,” says Prof Mbati.

Students from the Qwaqwa Campus will also benefit from the TRAC programme.   “Some promising students will also undergo further training and become assistants for the TRAC programme,” says Prof Mbati. 

“Nurturing science and mathematical skills is of great importance in growing our national economy. Annually, Sasol invests more than R50 million in supporting mathematical and science education in South Africa. Our primary aim is to increase the number of learners gaining access to tertiary education in the science fields. Therefore, our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) education interventions at secondary school level focus on educator development and direct learner interventions such as the Sasol TRAC Laboratory,” explains Ms Pamilla Mudhray, CSI and SHARP manager at Sasol.

According to Ms Mudhray the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement for physical sciences in the further education and training (FET) phase from 2006, under resourced schools will need greater access to the tools and equipment necessary to teach the syllabus and fulfil the ideals of the curriculum.

TRAC South Africa is a national non-profit programme focused on supporting and expanding science, mathematics and technology education in secondary schools. The programme was first introduced to South Africa in 1994. In 2005, RIEP established the TRAC Free State regional centre on the UFS Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
5 May 2006

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