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UFS launches groundbreaking RPA challenge on innovating with power automation

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 responds to media reports about UFS101

2012-08-18

The UFS101 is a cross-disciplinary module of the University of the Free State (UFS) that encourages critical thinking and offers access to knowledge beyond the specific qualifications for which students are registered. This is a multi-disciplinary academic curriculum that includes topics in astronomy, nanotechnology, history, law, anthropology and religion.

Throughout the seven units students are taught to think broadly rather than narrowly, and critically rather than through rote-learning.

The core curriculum module raises some difficult questions about science, humanity and the universe that have occupied human beings for centuries. There is considerable effort put into the module to enable balance, respect, and independent thinking. Students are not taught what to think but are offered different perspectives on difficult issues.

“In my unit on the question ‘how should we deal with the past?’ every effort is made for students to examine the perspectives on history held by people from different communities in South Africa,” said Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.

Students are then encouraged to speak in class, online and in tutorial groups where they are given ample opportunities to take a position and defend it not through emotion and anger, but through logic and reason.

The objective of the module is to equip students to deal with “the present past” in constructive and empathetic ways. They are also prepared to become active citizens outside the classroom and gain skills they can use anywhere in the world.

Some students find the module difficult at first, since most of them are not used to the practice of critical thinking and dealing with difficult questions from the past, the present and the future. Most students gradually come to enjoy the core curriculum module as they become accustomed to a new style of teaching and learning.

There are 700 first-year modules at the UFS. This is the only one module offered to students in English so that all students, local and international, can engage with one another directly on the subject matter discussed in the module. However, the module material is also available in Afrikaans online.It is a pity that AfriForum Jeug Kovsies did not discuss their concerns with the presenters of the module, but chose to do it through the media.

It is a pity that AfriForum Jeug Kovsies did not discuss their concerns with the presenters of the module, but chose to do it through the media.

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