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29 October 2024 | Story Jacky Tshokwe | Photo Supplied
RAiN Automate Innovate Challenge 2024
The University of the Free State accounting students rise to the challenge in the RAiN Automate to Innovate Challenge.

The School of Accountancy at the University of the Free State (UFS) is leading a forward-thinking initiative by introducing the RAiN Automate to Innovate Challenge in 2024. This marks the first time that the UFS has run this challenge, and it is already making waves in the accounting education landscape. As one the few Accountancy department in South Africa to host such an event, the UFS is paving the way for technological integration in the academic world, setting the stage for future inter-university competitions.

The RAiN Automate to Innovate Challenge invited second-year BAcc students enrolled in the EIDE2724 module to participate in groups of three to four. Their task was to identify and solve a real-world problem related to either students or business by developing a robotic process automation (RPA) bot using Power Automate.

The challenge followed an exploratory learning approach, empowering students to dive into the world of automation with minimal formal lecturing. This approach develops students’ creativity and problem-solving skills. The students worked hard to master Power Automate and applied their knowledge to build automation bots that successfully solved business and student life problems.

Presentations and the final showdown

After presenting their bots on 10, 11, and 14 October, the top six groups were announced in class, eagerly awaiting the grand finale. The final round took place on 18 October from 12:00 to 14:00, where the top six groups competed head-to-head.

A distinguished panel of judges, consisting of three judges from RAiN Auditors and three from the UFS, evaluated the bots based on creativity, functionality, and potential impact. By the end of the event, the winning groups were announced, and the following prizes were awarded:

  • First place: R1 500 each
  • Second place: R1 200 each
  • Third place: R1 000 each

The prizes were generously sponsored by RAiN Auditors, showcasing their commitment to fostering innovation in education.

Looking ahead

As the first South African university to run this type of challenge, the UFS aims to inspire other institutions across the country to follow suit. The School of Accountancy is eager to expand this competition, with the hope of challenging other universities in 2025 and beyond, creating a platform for students to showcase their technical skills and business acumen in the rapidly evolving field of accounting.

Stay tuned for the impact and future growth of the RAiN Automate to Innovate Challenge, where we continue to push boundaries and prepare the next generation of accountants to excel in a digital world.

For more insight into the competition, check out the video recap [here](insert Vimeo link). Be sure to explore the image gallery, showcasing the incredible work and teamwork of our students.

Check out the video here for more details.

News Archive

UFS cardiac team leading with project
2017-05-31

 Description: Cardiac team read more Tags: Cardiac team read more

Prof Peter Schultheiss of the Charité University in Berlin,
Germany, visited the Robert WM Frater Centre for
Cardiovascular Research at the UFS for a study regarding
cardiomyopathy, a significant cause of fatal heart failure
among Africans. From the left are Dr Glen Taylor,
Dr Danie Buys, Prof Makoali Makatoko,
Prof Schultheiss and Prof Francis Smit.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

A team of cardiac doctors associated with the Robert WM Frater Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Health Sciences has commenced with a pioneering research project regarding idiopathic dilating cardiomyopathy.  

An Afrocentric research focus
Prof Francis Smit, Head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the UFS and Head of the Frater Centre, describes dilating cardiomyopathy as a heart muscle disease that is quite common, particularly among people of African descent. The disease weakens the heart muscle, which in turn leads to heart failure.

“To date there is no curable treatment for this condition and 50% of patients that have shown heart failure, died within a period of five years. The causes of this condition have been unknown in the majority of patients. But over the past few years major strides have been made where virus infections of the heart muscle or myocarditis have been identified as a possible underlying cause. Various genetic diseases are also linked to it,” says Prof Smit.

International collaborations ensure success
According to Prof Smit, the project is being run in conjunction with Prof Heinz-Peter Schultheiss of the Charité University and the Institute for Cardiac Diagnostics and Therapy in Berlin, Germany.

“We have been working on the project over the past 18 months and I have twice visited Prof Schultheiss in Germany. He is now visiting us in Bloemfontein. We have established a collaborative project focused on patients in central South Africa”.
Prof Schultheiss is a world leader regarding the diagnosis, pathology and treatment of dilating cardiomyopathy, says Prof Smit.

“He brings a lifetime of research experience to Bloemfontein and is internationally renowned as the father of myocardial or heart muscle biopsies.

“His pioneering work on the discipline has led to diagnostic accuracy that has induced purposeful and personalised treatment of dilating cardiomyopathy and has brought about dramatic changes in some subsets of patients’ life expectancy and their cure.”

Solving problems close to home
According to Prof Mokoali Makatoko, Head of the Department of Cardiology, there are more than 1500 new cases of heart failure identified annually at the Universitas Academic Hospital, of which approximately 30% are attributed to cardiomyopathy. “With the use of endomyocardial biopsies the team hopes to treat viruses unique to Southern Africa as well as other underlying causes of dilating cardiomyopathy.”

Prof Stephen Brown, Head of Paediatric Cardiology at the Universitas Academic Hospital, says children suffering from this disease never reach a mature age and those under his supervision will also be undergoing these tests. Various other departments at the UFS will also participate in this project. Profs Makatoko and Brown did the first four endomyocardial biopsies under the management of Prof Schultheiss during the past week. The results will be available in the coming weeks after which the project will be officially launched and patient recruitment will start in earnest.

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