The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Liquid Telecom South Africa and Vaal University of Technology will see more students accessing bursaries in the field of IT.
Ten students received bursaries in 2017 to the value of R470 000, with this number and value to possibly increase in 2018.
Calvin Theko, chief corporate services officer (CCSO) at Liquid Telecom South Africa, says: “The MoU will ensure students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds have the course and direction of their lives positively changed – they will be setup to become key partakers in the expanding new world of the Internet of Things (IoT).”
The MoU will not only provide bursaries to students, but also increase the much sought and scarce IT skills in the country.
“The future of our country lies in the hands of the present-day generation and so we have to do our very best to assist those who are academically deserving and financially needy,” says Professor Gordon Zide, vice chancellor and principal of the Vaal University of Technology.
He adds: “On behalf of the VUT community, we would like to express our heartfelt appreciation for the gesture of goodwill displayed by Liquid Telecom South Africa; for awarding bursaries to ten of our IT students during 2017”. Beneficiaries will receive their B-Tech degrees in Information Technology during the 2018 April graduation ceremonies. Through this partnership, the University will be able to live up to its mission statement, which is “to produce employable graduates who can make impact in society and make VUT their world to a better future.”
Due to their indigent financial backgrounds, many students are at risk of dropping out of university. The MoU between Liquid Telecom South Africa and Vaal University of Technology seeks to contribute to the reduction of the drop-out rate amongst academically deserving poor students in B-Tech Information Technology in the University.