The Sol Plaatje University (SPU) in Kimberley recently held two pivotal events when hosting school princials and high school learners to showcase the university’s achievements and offerings.
In late August, the vice-chancellor and principal of the SPU, Prof Andrew Crouch, hosted principals from various high schools in the Northern Cape at a breakfast meetings.
The purpose was not only to introduce them to the university, but to foster relationships with the secondary schools’ leadership and to built on existing relationships.
During the meeting, Crouch provided a comprehensive background of the SPU, highlighting milestones, current initiatives, and future plans.
Among the prospects he discussed were the expansion of the university’s state-of-the-art facilities.
Soon, construction will begin on a section of the Oppenheimer Gardens to create a Great Hall and a civic square.
Crouch also detailed SPU’s strategies to address social issues plaguing the Northern Cape youth, ranging from low economic growth and inequality to poverty, unemployment, and limited opportunities.
On the day, the SPU Central Campus also buzzed with excitement as learners, teachers, and parents flocked to the first in-person open day since the onset of Covid-19.
The purpose was to connect prospective students to the SPU’s heads of Schools, academic staff, and students to guide them towards making an educated decision about their academic future in face-to-face interactions.
Each of SPU’s four schools – Education, Humanities, Natural and Applied Sciences (NAS), and Economic Management and Sciences (EMS) – had stalls spotlighting their offerings and giving learners a glimpse of what it means to be an SPU student.
The School of NAS, for example, wowed attendees with demonstrations of advanced robotic skills and interactive coding games.
Other exhibitors shared advice and guidelines on what the requirements are to study some of the academic programmes their schools have to offer.
