Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
13 March 2018 Photo Johan Roux
Prof Heidi Hudson appointed as UFS Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities
Prof Heidi Hudson, Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities.

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) approved the appointment of Prof Heidi Hudson as Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities during a meeting on the Bloemfontein Campus on 22 January 2018. She assumed office on 1 March 2018.

Prof Hudson is a Professor of International Relations with a PhD in Strategic Studies, and has been recognised for her undisputed international standing, which resulted in the awarding of a B2 rating by the National Research Foundation, effective from 1 January 2018. She was co-editor of The International Feminist Journal of Politics for the past six and a half years, as well as a Global Fellow of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo (2014-2016). Prof Hudson currently serves on the Advisory Board of the African Peacebuilding Network at the Social Science Research Council in New York. In 2018, she will also be the Claude Ake Visiting Chair, hosted by the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University and the Nordic Africa Institute. Her Claude Ake Memorial Lecture will focus on the decolonisation of gender and peacebuilding in Africa. 

“Prof Hudson is a well-respected researcher and senior manager and will add immense value to the faculty. She has been associated with the UFS for almost 25 years and the institutional memory she brings to the position is indispensable. I look forward to working with her and to support her in realising her vision for the faculty,” says Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor. 
 
Prof Hudson started her academic career at the UFS, spent six years at the former University of Durban-Westville (1991-1996), after which she re-joined the Department of Political Science at the UFS, where she was Departmental Chairperson from 2006 to 2007. In 2009, she joined the Centre for Africa Studies as Africa Studies programme director (2009-2011), and has been the Director of the centre since September 2012. The centre was recently externally evaluated and the positive report testifies to her leadership. Prof Hudson managed to increase the centre’s international footprint in a short space of time and effected an increase in research outputs, as well as PhD enrolment and output.   
 
In addition to serving on the Faculty Committee of the Humanities, she is a long-standing member of the Faculty Research Committee and also chaired the Portfolio Committee on Quality Assurance (2005-2008), while also serving on the UFS Quality Assurance Committee (until 2008). She was Senate representative on the Institutional Forum (August 2013–July 2017) and a member of the UFS Gender Committee (until 2006). She was recently nominated to serve on the Senate Research Committee.
 
Prof Hudson has been acting in the position of Dean: Faculty of the Humanities since 1 October 2017. Her vision for the faculty includes, among others, curriculum renewal, interdisciplinary research, and improved governance at middle-management level.

News Archive

Shimlas get back on track
2014-02-26

The Shimlas overpowered a startled UJ side in Bloemfontein on Monday, scoring seven tries en route to a 52-16 victory in the fourth round of the Varsity Cup competition.

The UFS’s second win in four weeks saw them climb the log standings to a well deserved third position. The Shimlas took an early lead in the match, with blindside flank Oupa Mohoje scoring the opening try from an attacking line-out.

Our boytjies was on a roll, with wing Maphuto Dolo scoring in the corner after a break from a scrum by scrumhalf Kevin Luiters. Kovsies' flyhalf Gouws Prinsloo knocked both conversions over to put our team in a commanding 16-0 lead before the first strategy break. Not long after, the Shimlas scored their third try as left wing Sethu Tom found the corner to make it 21-0. T his was followed by yet another onslaught when Shimlas’ skipper, Joubert Engelbrecht, crashed over for the bonus-point try. Outside centre, Tertius Kruger, put even more pressure on the UJ side when he crossed the try line, leaving the Shimlas with a 34-0 lead at half-time.

Prinsloo slotted a penalty early in the second half for Shimlas, followed by skipper Engelbrecht’s second try. After 15 minutes into the second half, UJ managed to score two converted tries to change the scoreboard to 44-16. T his did, however, not spur the visitors on to complete a comeback and the Shimlas' Divandré Strydom gave our team the last say with one final try.

The scorers:
For FNB UFS-Shimlas:
Tries: Oupa Mohoje, Maphuto Dolo, Sethu Tom, Joubert Engelbrecht (2), Tertius Kruger, Divandré Strydom
Cons: Gouws Prinsloo (5)
Pen: Gouws Prinsloo

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