Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
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

SRC visits the US as part of Global Leadership Preparation Programme
2012-06-07

The Student Representative Councils (SRC) of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses will be travelling to the United States from 10-24 June 2012 on an intensive leadership development programme.

The Global Leadership Preparation Programme, initiated by the Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, has been designed to ensure that South Africa’s next generation of leaders understand their unique place in a global context, the interconnectedness of global and local society and various possibilities for change.
 
The group of 36 students will be visiting Washington DC, Boston and New York.
 
“As a university we recognise that students who lead on campus must be prepared to also lead the country, which requires amongst others greater understanding of the impact and influence of global developments (social, economic, political) on nation states and campuses. This includes knowledge to deepen democratic participation and real representation – issues we know that often are contested in important student governance structures such as SRCs,” says Mr Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs.
 
The group will be studying among others the impact, influence and limits of the United Nations in global leadership; the impact of transnational companies on economic policies of African countries; the impact of American universities on African leadership; the impact of international philanthropy on African development and the impact of American public institutions on learning among the disadvantaged: lessons for South Africa.
 
The programme complements and strengthens other leadership preparation programmes of the UFS, such as the Leadership for Change Programme and the Gateway College Programme – an intensive orientation programme for all undergraduate students. It will give students a competitive advantage in leadership over more local programmes and initiatives that seldom look beyond the campus, or even beyond the country, in preparing the next generation of leadership.
 
“We value this initiative by the university leadership to give us the opportunity to explore and spread our wings and gather as much knowledge as we can get to raise the bar in terms of student governance and leadership. The university is amongst the few in the country that sees the need to strengthen and develop its student leadership by exposing it and allowing it to understand its role in a global context. This is a chance that we take seriously and we intend to use it to the betterment of the institution,” says Bongani Ngcanga, President of the Central SRC.
 
“While we welcomed the initiative taken by the university to design this programme, the SRC questioned and debated heavily on the merits and real contribution of such a programme. Only on approval of the academic and development profile of the programme did we accept its merits and now are excited about the value thereof. This opportunity goes beyond the term of the SRC and will develop and equip us for the great positions we will hold in the future. I am looking forward to meeting influential lobbyists, profound academics and strong politicians,” says Richard Chemaly, SRC President of the Bloemfontein Campus.
 
Upon their return, the SRCs will set a new benchmark for future councils, raising the bar to that of internationally acclaimed student leadership. One of the objectives of the programme is to produce written, reflective statements about the learning that resulted from the trip and to start dialogues in order to improve student governance and governance as a whole. Workshops will also be presented for aspirant student leaders on leadership lessons learnt from an international perspective.
 
Members of the SRCs are covering part in the cost of the programme and generous contributions have also been received from outside the university.

Media Release
07 June 2012
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: +27(0)51 401 2584
Cell: +27(0)83 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept