By Faith Mugambi

On October 9, 2023, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa hosted Mr. Khuboni Sifiso, the Recruitment Lead for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Pretoria. Mr. Khuboni was on campus to benchmark and explore best practices in the recruitment of Scholars, with a specific focus on Youth with Disabilities and Refugees and Displaced Youth.

During his visit, he paid a courtesy call to the Director of Advancement and Partnership, Mr. Eannes Ongus, the Director of the Scholars Program, Ms. Linet Aguko, the Chief Admissions Officer, Dr. George Lumbasi and the wider Scholars Program team. He spent the day with the Recruitment and Selection team, where he was able to gain a deep understanding of the recruitment strategies tailored to these unique categories. The team also provided detailed insights into the selection and interview process, as well as the onboarding process and the support accorded to the Scholars during their time at the University.

The visit also included a comprehensive campus tour, during which Mr. Sifiso had the opportunity to explore the Disability and Inclusion Center. Here, he met with the Disability and Inclusion Officer, who gave a presentation on the various assistive devices and resources available at the Center. He also had the chance to engage and interact with the Scholars as they used the devices and facilities.

Mr. Sifiso commended the team for their work and noted that he looked forward to more engagements and collaborations with the university focused on the recruitment of these key Scholar demographics.