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22 November 2024 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied
International Audit Week 2024
UFS students at Coventry University’s International Audit Week, marking a historic first for South African and Global South universities participating in this prestigious global accountancy gathering.

In a significant first for any university in South Africa and the Global South, five students from the University of the Free State (UFS) participated in Coventry University’s prestigious International Audit Week (IAW). This global gathering of top accountancy students from various countries took place from 28 to 30 October 2024 in England.

The UFS School of Accountancy earned the invitation through a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project initiated earlier this year. Prof Frans Prinsloo, Vice-Dean for Learning, Teaching, Innovation, and Digitalisation in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, said, “Our participation signifies a major step in our internationalisation strategy. We were the first university from the Global South to attend, showcasing our students’ exceptional skills and fostering global collaboration.”

Trailblazing students

The selected students – Charlene Black, Twisiso Mathonsi, Heike de Nysschen, Charlize Oosthuizen, and Boitumelo Radebe – are among the top performers in the Postgraduate Programmes in Chartered Accountancy (PGCA). These future chartered accountants were chosen based on their stellar mid-year results, as final marks were unavailable before the trip.

Black expressed her excitement, stating, “Being selected to represent UFS at such a prestigious event was a tremendous privilege. It reinforced my decision to pursue the CA(SA) qualification and inspired me to make impactful contributions to the profession.”

Mathonsi, equally thrilled, reflected on the significance of the experience, saying, “Attending IAW was a dream come true. It validated my hard work and gave me a unique opportunity to engage with global perspectives on auditing.”

International insights and learnings

The week’s highlights included interactive sessions and industry tours. Black found the visit to Morgan Motors particularly inspiring, noting, “Witnessing their manufacturing process and reliance on paper-based job cards was fascinating. It was a reminder of the diverse practices within industries globally.”

Mathonsi recalled the collaborative activities, particularly a group project at Shakespeare’s birthplace. “It was both fun and insightful, emphasising teamwork across cultural and linguistic differences,” he said.

The students were exposed to cutting-edge developments in auditing, including the integration of artificial intelligence. These insights deepened their understanding of global industry trends and standards, such as the IFRS Foundation Standards and International Standards of Auditing, and highlighted differences in professional qualifications and practices between South Africa and the UK.

Sponsorship and support

This historic participation was made possible by the generosity of sponsors, who contributed over R250,000. The Raubex Group led with R150,000, followed by Rain Chartered Accountants (R50,000), Core Bloemfontein (R20,000 and K-Way jackets), the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (R20,000), and Interstate Bus Lines (R10,000).

Prof Prinsloo emphasised the importance of such collaborations: “Our visionary sponsors recognised the immense benefits of this initiative for our students. Their support underscores the value they place on nurturing future leaders.”

Global impact and future plans

The experience not only elevated the students’ aspirations but also boosted the UFS’s international reputation. “Our students’ technical competence often surpassed that of their peers, cementing UFS as a global player in accountancy education,” Prof Prinsloo noted.

Looking ahead, the School of Accountancy plans to expand its international partnerships and aims to host the International Audit Week in Bloemfontein by 2026. For Mathonsi, the advice to future students is clear: “Work hard even when no one is watching; dedication always pays off.”

The UFS delegation’s success at IAW exemplifies the university’s commitment to excellence, global engagement, and producing graduates poised to make a difference on international and local platforms.

News Archive

New schools, restructuring part of streamlined Faculty of Health Sciences
2017-10-12

 Description: Health Sciences staff 2 Tags: Faculty of Health Sciences, five-school structure, Prof Gert van Zyl, Pathology, Biomedical Sciences  

From the left, front are: Dr Jocelyn Naicker,
Prof Gert van Zyl, Prof Magda Mulder;
back from left: Prof Chris Viljoen,
Marlene Viljoen, Deputy Director: Faculty of Health Sciences;
Prof Nathaniel Mofolo; and Prof Santie van Vuuren.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin


Numerous developments, such as the creation of two new schools and one newly restructured School of Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), will catapult this renowned faculty to even greater heights.

Five-school structure to increase access
 
A five-school structure was proposed at the annual Faculty Management retreat in July 2016. The previous three-school model included the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health Professions.

The current School of Medicine has been restructured and will henceforth be known as the School of Clinical Medicine. The Schools of Pathology and Biomedical Sciences have been added to the faculty. “So, three new schools were in fact created within the faculty,” said Prof Gert van Zyl, Dean of the faculty.   

“There was also a request from the National Health Laboratory Services to group academics that is rendering services in pathology into a new School of Pathology.” This is what motivated the faculty management to create two new schools.

Esteemed academics appointed 

With the creation of the new schools, there were also new appointments within the Faculty of Health Sciences. Dr Jocelyn Naicker has been appointed as the new part-time Head of the School of Pathology, Prof Chris Viljoen was appointed as the part-time Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences, and Prof Nathaniel Mofolo as the new Head of the School of Clinical Medicine. Prof Santie van Vuuren remains Head of the School of Allied Health Professions, and Prof Magda Mulder as the head of the School of Nursing. 

Research outputs to remain as usual
The addition of the new schools will not impact research output. “In the past, research was done across departmental boundaries between all the departments in the faculty,” Prof Van Zyl said. The advantages of adding two additional schools are that the workload will be distributed among the five schools. The heads of schools will work within their respective disciplines and related areas, and will eliminate the duplication of administrative functions.

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