Change the world

26/05/2014

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University recently hosted its annual Open Day at their George Campus to enable high school learners, parents, educators and interested members of the public to experience all that the university has to offer under one roof.

As in the past various school groups, as well as individual learners and their parents, made use of the opportunity to visit the university’s campus in the Southern Cape to learn more about NMMU, its various academic programmes and to get career and study advice during face-to-face interaction with lecturers, advisors and career guidance counsellors covering six of the seven NMMU faculties.

The geographic profile of the approximate 750 visitors provided a clear indication of NMMU’s widespread national footprint, with learners from the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and North West province making the effort to become better acquainted with NMMU George Campus and its offerings.  The bulk of the visitors were from schools in the Eden/Karoo-district who attended the event throughout the Friday; including students from the surrounding South Cape College’s campuses.

The Friday of Open Day included a live broadcast between 09:00 – 12:00 by Eden FM community radio station from the campus to ensure that those who were unable to visit the campus in its picturesque natural setting, could get a “taste” of student life and what the university has to offer.

A long-standing tradition whereby all Open Day stalls are adjudicated by a panel of experts in terms of a set of criteria during the Open Day, again confirmed the high standard of the various stalls. 

The winning participant in the Most Interactive category was the stall of the Department of Architectural Technology & Interior Design within NMMU’s Faculty of Arts; with the Physics programme’s stall as runner-up. The prize for the Most Visually Appealing stall went to the Student Counselling, Career and Resource Centre; with the Department of Architecture, based at the Port Elizabeth campus, the runner-up.

Dr Shawn Gouws of InnoVenton, NMMU’s Institute of Chemical Technology, explaining the intricacies of the university’s Chemical Process Technology programme to a number of learners from Imizamo Yethu Secondary School.

A learner from York High School and her mother learns more about the BCom General: Economics programme on offer at NMMU George Campus from lecturer, Sonja Neethling.

Diba the Dolphin, NMMU’s mascot, entertains a group of learners from Concordia Secondary School in Knysna.

Dare to teach… a prospective student getting to know the Education faculty and its programme offerings from Education students Adri Botha (left) and Michelle Bruce (right).

Barry Muller, a lecturer in Wood Technology at NMMU George Campus, with a student project on display.

Dave Jenkings, Student Counsellor at NMMU George Campus, receives the award for the Most Visually Appealing stall on behalf of the Student Counselling, Career and Resource Centre.

LenĂ© Smit (left) and Charista Killian (right) from the Department of Architectural Technology & Interior Design with the award for the Most Interactive stall; with JP Basson (middle) of the Department of Architecture with their award as the runner-up in the Most Visually Appealing category.