Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
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

University grooms future leaders
2013-02-28

Nangamso Koza, volunteers and learners who participated in the RCL training programme.
Photo: Linda Fekisi
28 February 2013

The UFS recently hosted a group of Representative Council of Learners (RCL) from 24 high schools in the Free State. The learners participated in a RCL training programme, the first of its kind, which will take place on a quarterly basis.

The learners were welcomed by Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the university. Prof Jansen emphasised the need for academic excellence in his welcoming speech, telling learners not to settle for a pass rate of 30%. He motivated them to study hard in order to reap rewards, regardless of their disadvantaged backgrounds. He told them about first-year student, Zandile Kwela and others, who excelled in the 2012 matric exams despite disadvantaged backgrounds.

Nangamso Koza, Research Assistant in the office of the Vice-Rector: External Relations, who helped to coordinate the programme, said leadership development is vital, as early as the basic education phase. “The objective was to offer the RCL some of the skills and knowledge we have, to enable them to dream out of the box."

Mr Pura Mgolombane, Assistant-Dean of Student Affairs, shared what student leadership is all about, the values that a leader needs to have and the relevant constitutional documentation and acts they need to know.

Madineo Mofokeng, an RCL member from Excelsior Combined School, describes her experience as a great one. “I learnt many things that will help me improve my school. I also learnt that by believing in yourself, you can do anything you put your mind to,” she added.


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