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29 August 2024
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Story Anthony Mthembu
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Photo Harmse Photography
Ross van Reenen, CEO of the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.
The Business School at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted the CEO of the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Ross van Reenen, for a guest lecture. Van Reenen presented the guest lecture in the Business School Auditorium on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus on 21 August 2024.
Reflecting on Van Reenen’s address
In a lecture addressed to an auditorium filled with UFS staff and students, Van Reenen’s talk was divided into several sections. Firstly, he spoke about the concept of the ‘black swan’ in reference to the book written by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, titled The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. Referring to Taleb’s book, Van Reenen defined a ‘black swan’ as a rare event that has a severe impact, and the occurrence of which people try to explain. He used some examples to explore this concept as well as its implications, including COVID-19 and its impact on the world, and the tragic death of the people in the Titanic disaster. However, he delved deeper into 9/11 and the extent of its impact, saying that “9/11 was a major wake-up call in the world economy”. Van Reenen highlighted how some companies such as Barclays, for which he previously consulted, had to work to be up and running after the collapse of the Twin Towers in 9/11.
In addition, Van Reenen’s lecture also touched on the importance of the first ninety days of a job after an individual has been employed. “Those first ninety days are crucial, as you have to establish yourself in a company where you are paid less than you are worth,” Van Reenen said. As such, he gave the audience insight into what they could focus on in that time frame. This includes focusing on the small wins, as well as ensuring that you are working at keeping the team together, as the team is an integral part of an organisation.
Van Reenen concluded his address by speaking about his time as the CEO of the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, including some of the decisions he took to ensure the success of the organisation.
Bursaries available for postgraduate studies
2016-09-19
Due to the current financial landscape in the higher education sector, the University of the Free State (UFS) has allocated funding for 130 honours degree bursaries, funds for research masters, and doctoral bursaries for studies in 2017.
The closing date for the honours bursaries is 19 December 2016.
Honours bursaries
All South African and international students, from any higher education institution, wishing to pursue their honours degree in 2017 can apply for the honours bursary. The funding is available for both full-time and part-time studies.
Applicants must have a minimum average of 65% in the third-year module in which they want to pursue an honours degree.
Students registering for a first honours degree in 2017 at the UFS will also be eligible for the university’s registration fee waiver. More information and frequently asked questions about the honours bursaries are available here.
Deliver your application form to Pinky Motlhabane at the Postgraduate School on the Bloemfontein Campus or submit it via email to motlhabanegk@ufs.ac.za.
Masters and doctoral bursaries
UFS has allocated funding for 130 honours
degree bursaries for studies in 2017.
Funding is available for the first three years for research masters students and the first four years for doctoral students. The masters and doctoral bursaries are open to all South African and international students. The funding is available for full-time and part-time studies.
Learn more about the masters and doctoral bursaries.
Postgraduate students can apply for the masters and doctoral bursaries at any time.
Other bursaries
UFS academic merit bursaries and other postgraduate funding opportunities are also available for postgraduate students.
• Merit bursaries: The merit bursaries are available for honours, masters and doctoral studies.
• Faculty awards: Various faculty awards are available to students who undertake postgraduate research degrees.
• National Research Foundation (NRF): To apply, please visit the NRF website and follow the application process. Please note that NRF bursary applications will open again on 1 June 2017.
• Independent awards: The UFS Bursaries and Scholarships Guide for Postgraduate Students provides a comprehensive list of these donors as well as information on the available opportunities and application procedures.
For more information about all bursaries, please contact Pinky Motlhabane at the Postgraduate School on +27 51 401 9635 or motlhabanegk@ufs.ac.za.