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UFS hosts Model UN Summit 2024: Youth leadership in focus

19 July 2024 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Sonja Dlamini and Nokuthula Tshabalala

Kovsie Model United Nations 2024 — Delegates at the 2024 Kovsies Model United Nations Summit engage in UN simulations, fostering international understanding and innovative problem-solving at the University of the Free State.

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted the third annual Kovsies Model United Nations (KMUN) Summit, attracting delegates from universities and TVET colleges across South Africa.

This year's event, themed 'Building Sustainable Bridges for the World We Want', took place from 12 to 14 July 2024 and offered students the chance to engage in United Nations (UN) simulations to develop a deeper understanding of international affairs and innovative problem-solving. These UN simulations included the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, and UNESCO.

Unique African solutions

The summit's keynote address was delivered by Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela. He stressed the importance of addressing global challenges in an African context, highlighting the role of youth in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and why education lies at the heart of making this possible.

Manamela noted that the African Union (AU) had declared 2024 ‘The Year of Education’, emphasising the need for resilient and education systems that equip African youth with skills and knowledge for the modern world.

"Our problems in Africa are not different from the rest of the world; however, the solutions that are required must respond to the material conditions and the historical realities of our continent," he said.

Localise development goals

Dibolelo Mance, Free State MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, also addressed the summit, urging youth to use the SDGs as an impetus to enhance their own communities and participate in global movements.

She highlighted local initiatives aimed at empowering young people to take active roles in their communities, using the SDGs as a development framework.

Policy partnership key for change

Dr Kevin Naidoo, Deputy Director-General of Policy, Governance, and Administration in the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, stressed the role of youth as policy partners in implementing the UN SDGs and the AU’s Agenda 2063. He encouraged delegates to inspire change and actively participate in policymaking processes, advocating for a more inclusive and participatory approach to governance.

The KMUN Summit gave young leaders a platform to engage in meaningful discussions and develop critical skills. The event reaffirmed the importance of youth leadership in global affairs, highlighting their crucial role in shaping a better future.

News Archive

Postgraduate studies can open doors to a successful career – Top 50 Economics students advised

2016-10-18

Description: Top 50 Economics students Tags: Top 50 Economics students

Economics 4: Students Veda Hendrikse and Merrylyn Shumba, Chris Scheepers (Sanlam), Dr Johan Coetzee and Johannes de Klerk (Sanlam).
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar

The Department of Economics in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences held a reception for its top 50 students on 10 October 2016 on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Speaking at the event, Mr Rocco Carr, business development manager at Glacier Investments by Sanlam, encouraged students to enrol for postgraduate studies in Economics and Financial Economics. He said the South African economy was not stable at the moment due to various factors such as politics. However, it was interwoven with the global economy and circumstances might change to make the country prosperous again in the future. ”The interest rates, the upcoming presidential election in the US, the economic changes in China, Brexit, and the economic changes in the European Union are some of the factors that are at play in the South African economy,” he said.

He further encouraged students to be prepared for the workplace by developing their work ethic and learning to take responsibility as this would help them grow a successful career despite economic volatility.

Dr Johan Coetzee, acting head of the Department of Economics, said the three honours programmes – Economics, Financial Economics and Investment Management, and Applied Econometrics – were internationally accredited and could open many doors to students. “Training is not only about what you can do, also how you think and how you manage people. Managing people has become more important than ever before,” Coetzee said.

The department hosts its top 50 students each year to expose them to courses they can take at postgraduate level and the career opportunities that lie ahead.

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