Faculty applaud academic achievers

It is said that patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success, and after the recent Academic Achiever Award Ceremony of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology on the Vaal Triangle Campus of the North-West University (NWU Vaal), the saying seems to ring true.

To the victors go the spoils. In front are: Prof W Grobler, Prof H Janse van Vuuren, Prof L du Plessis, Prof H van der Merwe, Prof A Garnett and Prof P Pretorius. At the back from left are: A de Beer, QP Lourens, CR du Toit, TM Thejane, N Robbertze, LTA Moletsane, PN Mncayi, HJ van Zyl, ME Malimabe, RJ Manders, M Booth, HT Marais, K Horsley (keynote speaker), DD Suku and CH Fraser.

The Academic Achiever Awards – currently in its third year of existence, aim to applaud academic achievement within the Faculty and by doing so motivate the recipients of awards to continue their commitment to academic excellence whilst celebrating their success and potential.

According to Prof Linda du Plessis, Vice Rector: Academic and Planning, the 17 awardees represent the “cream of the crop” with regard to the 2 293 students currently busy with their studies in the Faculty.

The world renowned Grandmaster of Memory, Mr Kevin Horsley, delivered a keynote address at the awards ceremony.

In her address she commented on the importance of academically sound students in accounting, finance and IT since these fields of study encapsulate the scarce list in terms of employment.

The well-known neuroscientist, Mr Kevin Horsley (also referred to as the International Grandmaster of Memory), delivered a keynote address and focused on the mental strategies most effective to facilitate learning and memory.

According to Mr Horsley there are three keys to better cognitive memory, namely: taking out interference; strategizing and finding fun in frustration.

By using these three keys a person will be able to remember better and recover memories quicker and clearer. The process of learning is, according to Horsley, not a destination as such but rather a never-ending journey.

The Dean of the Faculty, Prof Herman van der Merwe, awarded the following students for their academic achievement.

Included in the prizes was a R500 voucher from Van Schaik for the first year winners and a R1 000 voucher from Van Schaik for the second years. The third year winners each received a new tablet, whist the honours students received new external hard drives.