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20 March 2018
Photo Johan Roux
Graduation is the beginning of a new journey
As the weather starts to cool and the trees begin to lose their leaves, the University of the Free State (UFS) commences with the Autumn graduation preparations, which will take place in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus from 9-13 April 2018.
Students and their families can look forward to a fulfilling graduation ceremony that is bound to live up to the soon-to-be graduates’ dreams.
For information regarding the 2018 April graduations, please visit the UFS graduation ceremonies page, where students can also find the Graduation Guide Booklet. For enquiries please email graduations@ufs.ac.za
The graduation ceremonies for the different faculties will be taking place on the following dates:
Monday 9 April 2018
09:00: Faculties of Health Sciences and Theology and Religion
14:30: South Campus: University Access Programme
Tuesday 10 April 2018
09:00: Faculty of Law
14:30: Faculty of Education
Wednesday 11 April 2018
09:00: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
14:30: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Thursday 12 April 2018
09:00: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (including Business School)
14:30: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
Friday 13 April 2018
09:00: Faculty of the Humanities
14:30: Faculty of the Humanities
The Graduation Ceremonies will be available on livestream: http://livestream.ufs.ac.za/
Inaugural lecture challenges leaders in higher education
2012-10-30
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Dr Mamphela Ramphele
Photo: Stephen Collett
29 October 2012 |
Lecture (Pdf format)
According to international statistics, South Africa’s school performance is rated 140th out of 144 countries. South Africa is also ranked 143rd out of 144 countries when it comes to the quality of mathematics and science. About 600 000 South African graduates are unemployed and about 500 000 learners are failed by our current education system.
Dr Mamphela Ramphele brought these shocking statistics to the light at the inaugural lecture of the Annual Prestige Lecture at the Faculty of Education on Thursday 25 October 2012 at the University of the Free State (UFS).
This lecture will henceforth be known as the Mamphela Ramphele Prestige Lecture.
Dr Ramphelefocused her lecture on ‘Educating the 21st century citizen’.
“One of the defining characteristics of the 21st century is the vast number of choices that confront us every day at a personal, professional and political level.”
She asked if 21st century South Africans are equipped with the skills to make the choices that confront them daily.
“The failure to transform our apartheid education into one characterized by equity and excellence, is producing graduates who lack self-confidence.”
Dr Ramphele said that in South Africa about 1/6th of government expenditure goes to education, but the outcomes remain shocking.
For Dr Ramphele the answer lies in creating platforms for open conversation about South Africa’s painful past and the agenda for radical socio-economic restructuring should include the fundamental transformation of education.
She praised the UFS, under its current inspirational leadership, for its role as change agents through the education.
Prof. Rita Niemann, senior professor at the Faculty said the Annual Mamphela Ramphele lecture is to further expand and celebrate education in South Africa.
“Dr Ramphela has given us so much food for thought by challenging leaders in higher education to speak out about the questionable state of education in South Africa and to become engaged in the ‘revolution of the spirit’ in order to deliver citizens who own and shape the country.”