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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. 

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Cream of the crop of Grade 12 learners invited to become part of Kovsie family
2016-05-06

Description: 2016 Top achievers Tags: 2016 Top achievers

“You are all here because we believe in you, the cream of the crop of Grade 12 learners in Bloemfontein. We acknowledge you, and hope that you will entrust us with your future, and become part of the Kovsie family.” With these words, Nomonde Mbadi, Director of Marketing at the University of the Free State (UFS), welcomed selected guests to a function dedicated to the top achievers at their respective secondary schools.

Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, highlighted an aspect of the university that is often overlooked.  “It is extremely important that you not only achieve a degree at university … The greater goal of education is to provide a set of values with which you can interact with humankind.”

Showcasing some of the university’s most talented students, Prof Jansen highlighted achievers such as Nozimanga    Bonje, who overcame tragedy, trauma, and hardship to attain her BSc in Genetics and is now studying for her Honours degree; and Tanya Calitz, a newly-graduated (summa cum laude) law student now clerking for Deputy Chief Justice, Dikgang Moseneke, in the Constitutional Court. Prof Jansen also conducted an interview with Kovsies’ sport star, Wayde van Niekerk, who won gold last year in the 400m at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

Learners were given the opportunity to pose questions to Prof Jansen, and, afterwards, to interact with deans and faculty marketers to obtain relevant information. The Admissions Department also had several workstations set up with staff members on hand to facilitate online applications for those who had already chosen a field of study.

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