The University of the Free State (UFS), in partnership with the
South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and the Free State Department of Education, recently hosted the SAICA Winter School – a dynamic week-long academic camp aimed at empowering more than 300 of the province’s top-performing Grade 12 learners.
During the official welcome, Prof Hester C. Klopper, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal, encouraged the learners to walk with purpose and embrace the opportunity to shape their future. “You chose to spend your winter holidays not resting – but preparing. Not settling – but striving,” she said. “The knowledge you gained here is important, but something even more valuable awaits you: learning how to learn.”
Prof Klopper emphasised the university’s commitment to building Responsible Societal Futures – a guiding vision for the UFS that challenges students to use their education to build a more just, sustainable, and humane society. “At the UFS, we don’t only prepare you for your first job – we prepare you for careers that may not even exist yet,” she added.
Prof Frans Prinsloo, Director of the
School of Accountancy – who played a key role in coordinating the Winter School – highlighted the importance of the initiative in nurturing future chartered accountants and STEM professionals. “These learners represent the future of our province and country. This camp gave them a head start and exposed them to the world-class academic excellence that the UFS has to offer.”
The Winter School was about more than just content mastery – it was about transformation, exposure, and possibilities. From award-winning student support programmes to advanced science laboratories and clinical simulation units, participants experienced the full spectrum of UFS innovation and opportunity.
Photos from the event, including key moments from Prof Klopper’s inspiring address, will be shared across UFS platforms.
As Prof Klopper concluded: “Walk towards academic excellence that serves not only your own dreams, but the greater good of society. Our future – and yours – depends on it.”