Unisa doctor appointed chair of NSFAS
Dr Karen Stander says she hopes to make students job creators instead of seekers.
A senior lecturer at Unisa was recently appointed chairperson of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) board.
Dr Karen Stander is a senior lecturer in the Department of Business Management at Unisa College of Economic and Management Sciences (CEMS).
She was appointed by the Minister of Higher Education, Dr Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane as chair and non-executive member.
NSFAS is a government initiative that provides financial assistance to students from low-income families pursuing higher education at public universities and technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges.
Though NSFAS has been the subject of different controversies, Dr Stander said she’s honoured by the appointment and considers it a significant milestone in her career.
“It is a great privilege to contribute to the future of many South Africans through this role. I draw strength from the writings of Zerubbabel, which remind us that before the final stone can be laid, the first one must be placed,” Dr Stander said.
Stander’s career in academia spans over 13 years and she holds a PhD in Business Management from the University of Pretoria.
Throughout her career, Stander has won multiple accolades, including the 2019 CEMS Community Engagement Award, the 2020 Unisa Teaching and Learning Award, and the 2023 EDHE (Entrepreneurship in Higher Education) Award (second place).
Stander said she envisions a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in South Africa and hopes to empower students to innovate and become job creators rather than job seekers.
She is also passionate about seeing the new Sustainability Sciences degrees she has worked on come to fruition, helping graduates make a global impact.
“Ensure that you are healthy, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Lay your foundation with integrity, resilience, and purpose, and you will be ready to step up to the challenges of leadership,” Stander said to the students under NSFAS.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
