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22 February 2018 Photo Johan Roux
KovsieACT music festival lives up to the hype
Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Description: Kovsie Act concert Tags: Kovsie Act concert

Shekhinah embraces students at the festival.
Photo: Monk Manyeloyi

A weekend that promised great excitement kicked off on Friday 16 February 2018 with the Kovsie ACT Eco-vehicle race. This event saw students teaming up in their respective colleges in high hopes of earning what was assured to be a gratifying reward. The overall winners of the race were North College who also won for team spirit, the slalom race, and the Formula-e lookalike.

Students at the race rumbled with excitement as they witnessed the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Free State Prof Francis Petersen get his hands dirty when he decided to test-drive one of the Eco-vehicles himself. “It was honestly an electrifying moment that proves that co-curricular activities have the power to indeed help shift education into the right direction,” said Dean of Student Affairs, Pura Mgolombane, who was seen alongside Prof Petersen.

The first official Kovsie ACT music festival was billed to rock Bloemfontein, and it did exactly that! With the gates opening at 4pm on 17 February 2018, the event saw people pouring in shortly afterwards. The community and student-centred celebration saw a turnout nothing short of amazing.

The evening included a laser show display that is always a crowd pleaser, with OFM radio-show host Shandor Potgieter as the official MC for the event. Festivalgoers were entertained by various musical acts that included Sam Ludidi and local DJ duo, C’jo-&-Cider.

The crowd rushed to the main arena as Jack Parow prepared to kick off with his piece, which undoubtedly revved them up. Shekhinah, of course, followed through with a thrilling performance that held fans at her mercy, with many shouting “Shekhinah!”, as she left the stage. 

Prince Kaybee’s electrifying set ended off the night on a high note. The audience wanted more but the celebrations for the evening had to come to an end. “The festival was too lit, and the artists brought the heat, exactly what I needed before classes start on Monday,” said #KovsieCyberSta and student Thuli Molebalwa.

Kovsie ACT music festival

News Archive

UFS appoints a Dean of Education
2009-11-06

 Prof. Dennis Francis,   Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State (UFS).


Prof. Dennis Francis from the University of KwaZulu-Natal has been appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State (UFS) as from 4 January 2010. He is the first dean of this faculty since it was established at the UFS earlier this year.

Prof. Francis has worked at the University of KwaZulu-Natal since 2002. Prior to his appointment at the UFS he was a Professor in the Faculty of Education and Head of the School of Social Science Education at that institution.

“I am overwhelmed and excited at the same time. Mostly, I feel privileged and honoured to be joining the Faculty of Education,” he said of his appointment.
“The Faculty of Education is newly constituted and there are endless possibilities and potential. So I am really excited to be here.”

“What attracted me to the UFS is the leadership and vision of Prof. Jonathan Jansen, the emergent energy that is here, and the possibilities for transformation and change that exist. But also the warmth and graciousness of the people that I have interacted with,” he said.

Prof. Francis has taught and supervised Master’s and Doctoral students in the area of social justice education, identity studies and sexuality education. He has published numerous articles in refereed national and international journals, chapters in edited collections, and four edited journal special issues. He is also the author of Between Race; Beyond Race. Prof. Francis is the current guest editor of the South African Journal of Higher Education Special Issue on Transformation and Social Cohesion in Higher Education.

He has delivered conference presentations in his fields of research at international conferences in India, USA, Brazil, Thailand, Greece, Malaysia, Mauritius, UK and South Africa, as well as a further fifteen papers at national conferences. At three of these conferences he was an invited speaker. In 2008 he was granted researcher status by the National Research Fund.

Prof. Francis is currently on the editorial boards of two journals and an advisor on two international education conference committees. He also serves as the Chairperson of the Kenton Education Association.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Deputy Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
5 November 2009
 

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