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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 hosts first SA Digital Sky Academy at the Naval Hill Planetarium

2015-10-02

From the left are: Prof Neil Heideman
(Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, UFS),
Jack White (Director: Sky-Skan Oceania),
Dr Michelle Cluver (Department of Astronomy, University of the Western Cape),
Martin Ratcliffe (Director: Professional Development, Sky-Skan).
Photo: Mart-Mari Duvenhage

South Africa hosts some of the world’s largest telescopes, and won the bid to co-host the SKA recently. So it’s not surprising that there is unprecedented interest in Astronomy in our country. Astronomy is seen as a gateway subject that attracts people to the sciences, while planetariums help to make Astronomy accessible to millions of people. Digital planetariums are especially powerful teaching tools because they are versatile, offer an immersive experience, and explain and illustrate three-dimensional concepts effectively. On the other hand, scientists, are eager to exploit a digital planetarium’s potential to represent and explore data visually, whether the data relate to medicine, astronomy, chemistry, the environment, or other fields of research.

The four-day ‘Digital Sky Academy’ (DSA) presented at the Naval Hill Planetarium in Bloemfontein from 18 - 22 September 2015 was an opportunity to offer training and first-hand experience of digital planetarium technology to representatives from other centres in South Africa. The Department of Physics at the University of the Free State (UFS) was the host of this event.

The Department of Science and Technology has designated the Naval Hill Planetarium as the South African hub for the training of digital planetarium presenters and operators. In addition to attracting interest from scientists and future planetarium operators and presenters, the DSA workshop provided an invaluable opportunity for our presenters to hone their skills.

A number of experienced and distinguished people attended the workshop. Among them was Dr Mark SubbaRao from Chicago in the United States, who shared information on data visualisation techniques used in the Adler Planetarium. Jack White, Director of Sky-Skan, one of the few companies that provide digital technology for planetariums throughout the world, coordinated the event in partnership with Prof Matie Hoffman from the Department of Physics at the UFS.

Jack travelled from Melbourne in Australia to oversee the workshop. Two Sky-Skan colleagues from the United States, Martin Weiss and Martin Ratcliffe, were on hand to share their expertise on digital planetarium hardware and software. The workshop programme included Skype conference calls with other US-based planetarium experts. Amongst the delegates to the DSA representatives from the SKA, the Iziko Museum, and five South Africa universities. They were here to gain experience, explore the capacity of the digital facility, and share ideas on future collaboration.

During the workshop, a public lecture was held on 19 September. Dr Michelle Cluver from the University of the Western Cape gave a presentation entitled, ‘More than the eye can see: the significance of infrared light in Astronomy.’

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