02 May 2025
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Story Lacea Loader
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Photo Provided
The University of the Free State (UFS) is aware of a recent social media post regarding the employment of foreign nationals.
Currently, 140 foreign academic staff members are employed, representing less than 3% of the university’s total academic workforce.
These staff members come from a wide range of countries around the world – not only from African countries such as Zimbabwe, as suggested in the post.
The UFS deeply values the significant contributions of its academic staff who are foreign nationals, as they bring a wealth of global expertise, diverse academic perspectives, and rich cultural insights that meaningfully enhance the university’s teaching, research, and engaged scholarship initiatives – ultimately contributing to the development of socially responsible and globally minded citizens.
Their presence furthermore strengthens the UFS’ commitment to its
Vision 130 – to be a research-led, student-centred, and regionally engaged university, contributing to development and social justice through globally competitive graduates and impactful knowledge.
The proportion of foreign nationals appointed as academic staff at the UFS is below the national average for South African universities, which regularly attract and attain international scholars to strengthen their academic and research capacities.
At some institutions in the country, the percentage of foreign academic staff may be even higher, depending on their interdisciplinary strengths and global collaboration.
Issued by:
Lacea Loader
Senior Director: Communication and Marketing
University of the Free State
2 May 2025