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03 December 2018 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Thabo Kessah
Dr Martin Mandew welcoming ceremony
Prof Francis Petersen, Dr Martin Mandew, UFS Council Chairperson Willem Louw, and Prof Prakash Naidoo, Vice-Rector: Operations.
The University of the Free State Qwaqwa Campus and the broader community gave the new Principal, Dr Martin Mandew, a warm welcome on Thursday 22 November 2018. In attendance were representatives from different stakeholders, ranging from the Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District, the UFS Council, to the Student Representative Council (SRC) who challenged Dr Mandew to take the campus to greater heights.

In welcoming Dr Mandew, the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, highlighted recent campus achievements, including increased enrolment for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. “There has been a tremendous growth in our enrolment for both under- and postgraduate students. First-time undergraduate students grew by 124% from 2015 to 2018 – from 1 027 to 2 300 students. Regarding postgraduate students, we grew by 68% – from 329 to 551 in the same period of time. In addition, the University Staff Doctorate Project (USDP) that seeks to increase the number of academics with PhDs, is already unfolding. This programme will see six academics pursuing doctorate degrees in natural sciences, social sciences, the humanities, economic management sciences, and education, but will be focusing on multidisciplinary research on mountains or mountain communities. This Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) project is performed in collaboration with three American universities – the Appalachian State University, the Colorado State University, and the University of Montana,” he said.

“We have also seen increased research output that came partly as a result of our ARU collaborating with the United Nations University and the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Frontier Sciences in Japan. This partnership is aimed at developing the campus to be a sustainability hub of research and education, focusing on mountain and rural regions in South Africa,” he added.

Prof Petersen also acknowledged the role Dr Mandew was already playing in “broadening the reach of community engagement, integrating all efforts by different faculties and departments into one sustainable programme and integrating commuting or day students into university life”.

Speaking on behalf of the Qwaqwa Campus Branch of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU), Deputy Chairperson, Motlogelwa Moema, highlighted the need for the new Campus Principal to always listen to the workers. “Workers themselves will tell you about their issues and you will not read about them in some minutes or written notes from somewhere,” he said. Representing UVPERSU was Grey Magaiza, who extended a hand of cooperation to Dr Mandew. “We are prepared to share your agenda of developing this campus with you, and you can count on us,” he said.

In his response, Dr Mandew also extended a hand of cooperation to those willing to see the campus becoming an institution of choice. “It has to be emphasised that this event is not about me, but about our biggest stakeholders – our students – and how we can advance our campus together and make it better. We must make this campus the best of its size in the whole of South Africa,” he said.

His Majesty Morena E Mohono Moremoholo Mopeli from the Bakoena Ba Mopeli Traditional Council welcomed Dr Mandew with a Basotho blanket, a rod, and a hat – symbols of the highest level and warmest welcome.


News Archive

International speakers discuss diversity
2014-02-11

 
Dr Charles Alexander from UCLA
Photo: O'Ryan Heideman

International and local experts recently gathered on the Bloemfontein Campus to deliberate over the topic of diversity.

Student participation and mobility dramatically increased in higher education worldwide. Cultural, political, economic and social factors on a national and global scale, have brought the reality of diversity into the operational spaces of Higher Education Institutions. These challenges are not exclusive to South Africa, though. In the Netherlands and USA, universities are also challenged by the demands of an increasingly diverse student population.

Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, acted as one of the keynote speakers during a two-day colloquium hosted by the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice. In an impelling address, Prof Jansen argued that change cannot be affected on a university campus if the surrounding community does not change as well. He also noted the spread of a culture of silence surrounding issues of misbehaviour. He urged that we need to find courage again to speak out. From the level of government, media and churches to the private spaces of our homes, we have to co-create an environment of care.

This message closely tied in with that of Prof Shirley Tate’s from the University of Leeds. In her keynote, she asserted that mere tolerance of someone different from you can lead to even more alienation. The path to true reconciliation is grounded in the intimacy of friendship. Friendship and empathy lead to trust and transcend racism.

Another keynote speaker from abroad, Dr Charles Alexander from the University of California, delineated a model for inclusive excellence. He explained that the major problem of true transformation is not due to a lack of ideas, but in the implementation thereof. “Realities of implementation short circuit the change process,” he said. He explained how campus environments can adapt in order to support and enhance lasting inclusivity.

We have to become complicit in the process of transformation, Prof Dr Ghorashi, Professor of Diversity and Integration at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, conveyed. Linking up with the issue of silence, she demonstrated the power of speaking out, using examples from her extensive research among victims of violence. It is imperative, she maintains, that for transformation to materialise, we need to create safe spaces in which we can share our vulnerabilities.

Footnote: Due to unfortunate circumstances, both Prof Dr Ghorashi and Prof Shirley Tate could not personally attend the colloquium as planned. Their respective keynotes were read to the audience on their behalf.

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