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
12 September 2018 Photo iFlaire
Architectural excellence celebrated at recent Sophia Gray lecture
Prof ‘Ora Joubert, a leading architect and academic, delivered the 30th Sophia Gray Memorial Lecture at the UFS.
A jolly kink, creative, aesthetically sensible, a dream house, welcoming, true colours, bright lights – these are some of the terms one can use to describe the work of Prof ‘Ora Joubert, leading architect, academic and former head of the UFS Department of Architecture.

A journey through time and space

She is also the 30th laureate to deliver the recent Sophia Gray Memorial Lecture on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS). The lecture was titled: La Promenade Architecturale – A journey through time and space. “The title refers to the revelatory experience of an observer who wanders on a pathway in and through architectural spaces,” said Jan Ras, lecturer in the Department of Architecture and organiser of the event. 
“As the observer tours the architectural configuration, a sequence of composed images, themes and ordering systems are revealed. This gradually unfolds as the observer moves through the spaces,” Ras said.

The lecture, which coincided with an exhibition at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum, is a highlight of the South African architectural community and celebrates outstanding practitioners and academics in architecture.

Besides the numerous design awards she received as practitioner, Prof Joubert’s work has also received critical acclaim internationally in publications from Australia, to Russia and the UK. In 2001 she was cited as one of the most esteemed architects under the age of 40 and her work was included in the 2004 Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary Architecture. She is also a well-respected academic with 34 articles published in a variety of publications.

Recognising the intelligence and ingenuity of design

Prior to the lecture, the department also presented a mini-congress, introducing the new PhD with Design programme. This programme recognises the intelligence and ingenuity of design and is aimed at, among others, younger MArch graduates who wish to explore creative research. The department envisaged that the PhD study might be practice-based for architects who wish to document and research their own work and or design-led for candidates who wish to explore a new creative project. 

Forming part of this week filled with architectural creativity was a fundraising breakfast, with contributions going to the Sophia Gray Bursary Fund. The fund is part of a greater call to alumni and friends to be actively involved in the department’s continuous development and future endeavours towards imagination, care and excellence. 

News Archive

Campus-wide poll to determine preferences among current staff and students for language models
2015-10-20

Language poll postponed until Thursday 22 October 2015

Due to the closing down of all UFS campuses on Wednesday 21 October 2015, the language poll has been postponed until Thursday 22 October 2015.

 

Invitation to take part in a campus-wide poll to determine preferences among current staff and students for language models.

As mandated by the Council on 5 June 2015, the senior leadership of the University of the Free State (UFS) has committed itself to a formal review process of the current language policy through a comprehensive process of consultation with all university stakeholders.

Since 19 August 2015, the following public sessions have taken place across all three campuses:

  • Public dialogue for staff and students, Qwaqwa Campus, 19 August 2015
  • Staff submissions, Bloemfontein Campus, 20 August 2015
  • External stakeholder submissions, Bloemfontein Campus, 24 August 2015
  • Public dialogue for staff and students, South Campus, 26 August 2015
  • Alumni submissions, Bloemfontein Campus, 27 August 2015
  • Expert panel discussion for staff and students with Q&A, Bloemfontein Campus, 31 August 2015
  • Staff, students, and external stakeholder submissions, Qwaqwa Campus, 9 September 2015
  • Panel discussion and public dialogue for students, Bloemfontein Campus, 10 September 2015
  • Expert panel discussion for staff and students with Q&A, Bloemfontein Campus, 11 September 2015
  • Student submissions, Bloemfontein Campus, 15 September 2015
  • Staff and student submissions, South Campus, 16 September 2015
  • Convocation submissions, Bloemfontein Campus, 30 September 2015

Further, written and online submissions from the entire university community were put forward until 18 September 2015, while the Convocation had until 30 September 2015 to submit. During the process, the Language Committee has met weekly and discussed the viability, benefits and challenges of various language model options, taking into account institutional, regional, national and global concerns, documents and information.

Following the university’s commitment to open, democratic practice, the UFS calls upon all its current staff and students to participate in a campus-wide poll in order to assist the Language Committee in determining possible preferences among current staff and students for language models. The possible models have emerged from the broad consultation process.

Please note that the campus-wide poll is NOT a formal voting process or referendum and will form only one part of many deciding factors that will be referred to the UFS Council on 20 November 2015 for their deliberations regarding the future of the language policy at the UFS. The poll, conducted by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), will be indicative of the preferences of staff and students for possible language model options, with specific focus on language of instruction. 

The poll will take place at the following venues from 21-28 October 2015, 08:00-16:30, including the weekend:

Bloemfontein Campus: Kestell Residence Gazellie

Qwaqwa Campus: VIP Lounge

South Campus: Conference Hall

To take part in the polling, a valid staff or student card must be produced. Polling will take place on the basis of one poll per current staff member/student.

We look forward to your participation in the poll and hereby thank the entire university community for their ongoing interest and responsible engagement with the review process.

 The UFS Language Committee

 

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