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17 April 2018

 PHOTOS: Graduation Ceremonies

Mistakes are powerful; train yourself to embrace and learn from them in order to experience the supreme emancipation that comes with life’s downfalls and victories. This is what the 2018 April graduation ceremonies were all about. This profound thought was instilled by the likes of Dr Anthony Turton, a leader in the field of water as a business risk and opportunity. Dr Turton, an Affiliated Professor in the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of the Free State (UFS), was one of the keynote speakers at this year’s inspirational April graduation ceremonies on the Bloemfontein Campus.

A total of 4 388 qualifications in the form of Certificates and Higher Certificates, Diplomas, as well as Bachelor’s and Honours degrees, were awarded and conferred on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus from 9 to 13 April 2018. These qualifications were awarded to graduates in the Faculties of Health Sciences, Theology, Law, Education, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Economic and Management Sciences, the Humanities, and the South Campus University Access Programme. 

Guest speakers encourage graduates
Addressing Health Sciences graduates, Anita van der Merwe, Professor and Executive Head of the Department of Nursing and Midwifery in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University, said graduates needed to have compassion for other people. “As health practitioners, we should live and work with compassion, which means truly understanding the suffering of others.”
 
Another strong message emerging from the graduation ceremonies was: “Each person will experience the journey of life differently, but when we let our light shine, we unconsciously allow others to do the same”. This message was shared by Miss Deaf SA for 2017/18, Chantelle Pretorius, in her address to graduates from the Faculty of Education.

“Graduates in the Faculty of Law should regard themselves from now on as having well-trained minds that shall be instruments of liberation and social justice,” said Projects and Campaigns Manager of Corruption Watch, Zola Valashiya.
 
Deputy President of the Association of Black Accountants in Southern Africa, David Abbey, further encouraged graduates from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences to focus their ideas and interests onto their goals until they are reached. He added: “In order for graduates to be successful in any endeavour, they must concentrate their attention intensely on what they want.”

Also addressing graduates from the same faculty, Brand Pretorius, former CEO of McCarthy Limited, motivated them with the following words: “The biggest danger for most of us is that we aim too low, and we achieve it. It is unacceptable to be satisfied with being ‘just okay’.” 

Tshegofatso Setilo, Assistant Director of the University Access Programme on the South Campus, motivated graduates to surround themselves with people who are smarter than them, who are humble, who are kind and hard-working.

Addressing graduates from the Faculty of the Humanities, Dr Nthabeleng Rammile, Deputy Chairperson of the UFS Council, said: “I want to challenge our graduates to go out and live their dreams. You owe it to yourselves.” 

Graduation Speeches:

Tshego Setilo 9 April Graduation Ceremony

David Abbey 12 April 2018 Graduation Ceremony

The value of listening
Dr Khotso Mokhele, UFS Chancellor, encouraged graduates to be the best that they can be – even if their roles or jobs require them to carry the casualties of someone else, “do it with your chest”, he said. He said graduates needed to master the skill of listening in order to effectively reflect and internalise the lifelong lessons that were delivered to them at the April graduation ceremonies.

Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said graduates had the power and responsibility to make a positive change in social society. He further added that graduates were subjected to expectations to go out and make a positive change in the world. He urged graduates to help create an environment that South Africans could all feel proud of.

Talking at the final session of the week-long graduation ceremonies, Hannes van Wyk, Kovsie alumnus and presenter of Kwêla on KykNet, said: “Don’t take everything too seriously, there is a great joy in freedom, and freedom only ever comes from letting go.”

Another highlight 
UFS Student Representative Council members, Brady MacPherson, Ntombi Nhlapo, Sonwabile Jongisizwe Dwaba, and Tammy Fray set a great example for fellow students, as they formed part of the elite group – the alumni. They, along with other 2018 graduates, had the honour of being awarded their degrees throughout the week of 9-13 April 2018.


Recorded Livestream of the Graduation Ceremonies:

Monday 9 April 2018

Description: 1. Health Sciences new Tags: Bloemfontein graduation ceremonies, Dr Khotso Mokhele, Prof Francis Petersen, Dr Anthony Turton, UFS Graduations, Hannes van Wyk, Kwela, David Abbey, Zola Valashiya, Chantelle Pretorius

Faculties of Health Sciences and Theology and Religion and South Campus: University Access Programme

 

WATCH: UFS Autumn Graduation Ceremony 9 April 2018 (morning session)
WATCH: UFS Autumn Graduation Ceremony 9 April 2018 (afternoon session)
 

“As health practitioners, we should live and work with compassion, which means truly understanding the suffering of others.” 
- Prof Anita van der Merwe

 “Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, who are humble, who are kind and hard-working.”
- Tshegofatso Setilo

Tuesday 10 April 2018

Description: 1. Law 2018 Tags: Bloemfontein graduation ceremonies, Dr Khotso Mokhele, Prof Francis Petersen, Dr Anthony Turton, UFS Graduations, Hannes van Wyk, Kwela, David Abbey, Zola Valashiya, Chantelle Pretorius

Faculty of Law and Faculty of Education

WATCH: UFS Autumn Graduation Ceremony 10 April 2018 (morning session)
WATCH: UFS Autumn Graduation Ceremony 10 April 2018 (afternoon session)


“Law students should regard themselves from now on as having well-trained minds that shall be instruments of liberation and social justice.”
- Zola Valashiya

“Each person will experience the journey of life differently, but when we let our light shine, we unconsciously allow others to do the same.”
- Chantelle Pretorius

Wednesday 11 April 2018

Description: 1. Natwet new Tags: Bloemfontein graduation ceremonies, Dr Khotso Mokhele, Prof Francis Petersen, Dr Anthony Turton, UFS Graduations, Hannes van Wyk, Kwela, David Abbey, Zola Valashiya, Chantelle Pretorius

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

WATCH: UFS Autumn Graduation Ceremony 11 April 2018 (morning session)
WATCH: UFS Autumn Graduation Ceremony 11 April 2018 (afternoon session)

The power of integrity – let your moral compass be your guide in times of great uncertainty.” 
- Anthony Turton

Thursday 12 April 2018

Description: 1. EMS 2018 Tags: Bloemfontein graduation ceremonies, Dr Khotso Mokhele, Prof Francis Petersen, Dr Anthony Turton, UFS Graduations, Hannes van Wyk, Kwela, David Abbey, Zola Valashiya, Chantelle Pretorius

Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences

WATCH: UFS Autumn Graduation Ceremony 12 April 2018 (morning session)WATCH: UFS Autumn Graduation Ceremony 12 April 2018 (afternoon session)

The biggest danger for most of us is that we aim too low, and we achieve it.”
- Brand Pretorius

“In order to be massively successful in any endeavour, you must concentrate your attention intensely on what you want.”
- David Abbey

 

Friday 13 April 2018

Description: 1. Humanities 2018 Tags: Bloemfontein graduation ceremonies, Dr Khotso Mokhele, Prof Francis Petersen, Dr Anthony Turton, UFS Graduations, Hannes van Wyk, Kwela, David Abbey, Zola Valashiya, Chantelle Pretorius

Faculty of the Humanities

WATCH: UFS Autumn Graduation Ceremony 13 April 2018 (morning session)
WATCH: UFS Autumn Graduation Ceremony 13 April 2018 (afternoon session)

“Today, I want to challenge our graduates to go out and live their dreams. You owe it to yourselves to live your dream.”
- Dr Nthabeleng Rammile

 

“Don’t take anything too seriously, there is a great joy in freedom, and freedom only ever comes from letting go.”
- Hannes van Wyk

News Archive

Prof Frederick Fourie to step down as UFS rector
2008-09-08

“It is with sadness that I hereby announce my intention to step down as rector and vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS) in the 4th quarter of this year.

Obviously this decision has not been taken lightly. After careful consideration I am, however, convinced that this is as far as I can take the UFS as vice-chancellor and rector. This flows primarily from the exhausting times that I have experienced during the past nine years, first as vice-rector (since 1999) and then as rector (since 2003), in managing and implementing several complex strategic projects.

The challenges and complexities of continuous change management at a higher education institution, and specifically the demands of further dynamic development and transformation at the UFS, demand enormous amounts of emotional energy and drive. For me the stress due to, especially, the political divisions and tensions in the UFS Council and the broader university community during the past year has been extremely draining. The broader institution and its people also show signs of trauma.

I think it is time for new and fresh leadership, especially in the light of the transformation challenges of the UFS.

I have thus decided to step down in the interest of transformation and the further dynamic development of the UFS.

Having been on sabbatical leave since May, I will not return to take up my post. I will remain on leave until my official date of retirement from office. (The exact date must still be determined.)

I am grateful for the opportunity to have been at the helm of the UFS and to help the institution cross several bridges. During the past nine years I have been privileged to lead large strategic projects together with many dedicated and talented UFS colleagues. It has been a wonderful experience of thinking and working together in order to elevate the functioning of the University to new levels in several key areas.

One of the most important projects was the financial turnaround strategy of 2000-2005, which took the UFS from a financial crisis to a situation where currently it annually has almost R100 million of discretionary funding available to spend on strategic projects, and where staff remuneration and promotion opportunities have increased dramatically since 2000. In this period the UFS has also grown from approximately 10 000 students to more than 27 000 in 2008.

A second was the strategy to invest strongly in the academic core and notably research, research capacity and research apparatus. Since 2003 research outputs have increased by approximately 50% - a significant accomplishment of our researchers and faculties. In conjunction with this, the launch of the six strategic academic clusters (focus areas) should create the basis for the continued growth in the national and international stature of the UFS in future. The development of the national leadership role of the UFS with regard to community service also was a special and successful project.

A third large strategic project was the progress with regard to diversity, the balanced multilingualism policy in the academe as well as the administration, the employment equity plan, the UFS transformation plan and especially the institutional charter – which could lay the foundation for a university where one and all can experience a true sense of belonging amidst diversity. These have been important steps that we can feel proud of (although much work obviously remains with regard to non-racialism and also non-sexism).

As far as residences are concerned, it was historically significant that this time, in contrast to 1997/8, the UFS succeeded in crossing the bridge of diversity and integration in residences – with due regard to the difficulties we faced. Hopefully this will considerably ease the task of my successor and her/his management team in managing diversity and in pursuing best practice transformation.

A fourth large project was the large-scale upgrading and development of infrastructure, academic buildings and facilities as well as support service facilities, student facilities and pedestrian walkways. The objective was a campus of the highest quality and aesthetics to effect a lasting improvement in their work- and living environment for staff and students. Indeed, the UFS Main Campus today is seen as an example of sensitive and high quality campus planning.

Other initiatives which haven’t borne fruit yet are, for example, those with regard to entrepreneurial activities, sport development and sport business development, and the possible establishment of an engineering programme or faculty at the UFS.

On the whole the most important thing for me has been the progress in establishing a deep commitment to quality and equity/fairness and in boosting the national and international profile of the UFS as a high quality progressive university. Of course, justice, equity and quality intrinsically are challenges which require daily dedication to make it an ingrained habit.

I wish to thank all those people with whom I could work during the past years in tackling large and complex challenges with mutual loyalty, shared wisdom and effort – from the Financial Turnaround Team to the Exco, the Executive Management, the Faculties, the Senate, support service divisions, the University Council and several committees and task teams”.

Frederick C.v.N. Fourie
Rector and Vice-Chancellor
University of the Free State

Prof Frederick Fourie has been with the UFS since 1976. After obtaining a PhD in Economics from Harvard he was appointed professor at the age of 29 in 1982, head of the Department of Economics in 1992, Distinguished Professor in 1998, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences in 1997, Vice-rector: Academic in 1999 and vice-chancellor in 2003.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
8 September 2008
 

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