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18 April 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin

The Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice IRSJ) has initiated a Social Justice Week at the University of the Free State (UFS), which started on Friday 12 April  until Wednesday 17 April 2019. 

Ten key events took place during the week. It ranged from dialogues, workshops, talk shows, debates, and interactive displays and events on issues of multilingualism and diversity, social innovation, engaged scholarship, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, gender sensitisation, sexual consent, sexual preparedness, universal access, disability, anti-discrimination, and security.

There was also a round-table discussion on 17 April 2019 with various UFS stakeholders on off-campus student security as well as an inter-institutional discussion on the same topic. The UFS Debating Society will take on the topic of the UFS Language Policy, while Olga Barends from the Free State Centre for Human Rights will host a dialogue on sexual consent.

The IRSJ has also designed and implemented SOJO-VATION: Social Innovation/ Social Change, which strives to create a foundational platform where ideas of social justice, innovation, and engaged scholarship at the UFS and in society can be hosted. SOJO-VATION partners with the Office for Student Leadership, Development, and Community Engagement.

The collaborating partners for the Social Justice Week includes various UFS stakeholders such as the Sasol library, the Gender and Sexual Equity Office, UFS Protection Services, the Free State Centre for Human Rights, the Student Representative Council (SRC), the Office for Student Leadership Development, Kovsie Innovation, GALA, the FFree State Centre for Human Rights, SRC Associations, the Office for Student Governance, Kovsie Innovate, Start-Up-Grind, EVC, EBL, Community Engagement, the Institutional Transformation Plan (ITP) Dialogues Office, Residence Dialogues, UFS Debating Society, Debate Afrika!, the Center for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS), and the Gateway Office. 

News Archive

Meet our Council: Passionate, progressive, and positive – Councillor Itumeleng Pooe
2017-07-13

Description: Itumeleng Pooe Tags: Itumeleng Pooe.  University Council, ambitiously entrepreneurial, progressive university, passionate about life 

Itumeleng Pooe, member of the UFS Council.
Photo: Johan Roux

Passionate, progressive, and unfailingly positive are the words coming to mind when one meets Itumeleng Pooe.  

Itumeleng was appointed to the University Council by the Minister of Education last year.  She is an alumna of North-West University and served as council member and deputy chair of the NWU Council from 2007 until 2014.  She also serves on the board of the Cape Town Hotel School.

Sees UFS as a very progressive university in the higher-education landscape

She is currently employed by the South African Maritime Agency, working at developing integrated national marine tourism and leisure.  In her own words, she is “ambitiously entrepreneurial” and also sells wine privately, working towards distributing amazing and exquisite South African wine in Africa.  

Itumeleng views the UFS as a very progressive university and a rising giant in the higher-education landscape in South Africa.

“I take my role as council member very seriously. I hope to use my marketing and communication expertise to propel the university’s brand as one of the most special places to study in Africa.  Internationalisation is also imperative and I believe I have a lot to offer in this regard,” she says.

Believes that transformation should be at the core of the university’s business
She also feels that transformation should be at the core of the university’s business and that it should remain ongoing.

Itumeleng is a very proud mother to two young adults; Kamogelo is a UCT BCom (Accounting) graduate and Kago studies digital marketing at Vega in Cape Town.

“I am an ardent hiker, reader, perpetual traveller and lover of exotic destinations, and aspiring cook. Honestly? I am just passionate about life,” she says.

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