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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

Yeast genus named after UFS scientist
2012-02-21

 
Prof. Lodewyk Kock

 

A yeast genus has been named Kockiozyma in honour of Prof. Lodewyk Kock of the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State for his contributions to yeast systematics.

A genus is a category of classification ranking below a family and above a species and generally consists of a group of species exhibiting similar characteristics.  
 
Prof. Kock says: “This event was a big surprise and honour which is usually only bestowed on scholars at the end of their career.” 
 
The manuscript proposing the new genus name, titled "Kockiozyma gen. nov., for Zygozyma suomiensis: thephylogeny of the Lipomycetaceous yeasts" was accepted for publication on 7 February 2012 by the ISI journal Annals of Microbiology.
 
This genus is a member of the family called the Lipomycetaceae which is regarded as a primitive group of yeasts. This family is usually studied for their evolutionary status and development.
 
The scholars that did the research and bestowed the honour are Dr S. Jindamorakot and Dr P. Yukphan from the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) in Thailand. The senior author was Prof. Y. Yamada, Professor Emeritus at Shizuoka University at the town of Shizuoka in Japan.

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