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
26 February 2019 | Story Eugene Seegers | Photo Eugene Seegers
Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Daniella Coetzee, South Campus Principal, Tshegofatso Setilo, Director Access, Prof Prakash Naidoo, Vice-Rector Operations
Prof Francis Petersen, Prof Daniella Coetzee (Principal: South Campus), Tshegofatso Setilo (Head: Access Programmes), and Prof Prakash Naidoo (Vice-Rector: Operations) on the South Campus for the welcoming of first-years.


“Welcome to the South Campus of the University of the Free State!” Addressing a packed Madiba Arena, Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, said he was happy to see not only first-year students, but also parents and guardians, student leadership, and support staff from both the Bloemfontein and South Campuses.

 “I would like to congratulate each of our first-year students for making the decision to come to Kovsies to further your studies here. But I would also like to thank you for making this choice,” he continued.

Prof Petersen further emphasised that the students’ experience and success as individuals are important to the UFS as an institution; therefore, academic and support staff are on hand to guide them through their journey to becoming well-rounded individuals. “We will surely take care of you,” said Prof Petersen. He also reassured parents and guardians that their loved ones would be well looked after.

The Rector also focused attention on the role of student-leadership structures, such as the newly-formed Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) and South Campus SRC, members of which were present in the audience. He thanked them for playing a key role in the student constituency, highlighting their support and guidance to help first-years cultivate a sense of belonging at the UFS.

Turning back to first-year students, Prof Petersen stated that they have the unique opportunity to study on a campus specifically focused on developing their full potential, a campus where they can realise their dreams. “Your arrival on the campus marks a new chapter in your life. This chapter is slightly different, as you are the author thereof. The previous chapters in your life were largely written by others—your parents, guardians, families, teachers, and others. You will now be the main author in the next chapter of your unique story.”

“At Kovsies, we believe in developing students in their totality as human beings, not just the academic side. May your time with us equip you to make a success of your life after university!”

Prof Petersen’s Message to First-year Students
  1. Take responsibility for your academic programme.
    • Keep your focus. Study and study hard. You will reap the rewards and see the advantages of making success in your studies a top priority.
    • Make sure that you have enough time for your studies; balance your social life and your time set aside to study.
  2. Realise and remember that you are not alone.
    • If you find things difficult, seek help.
    • Our Department of Student Counselling and Development has trained staff and tailor-made programmes that can assist you.
    • Look after your mental health—and look after each other’s mental health.
  3. Make the most of your time at Kovsies.
    • Join one or more of the student organisations; why not try something new?
  4. Embrace difference and diversity.
    • Get to know students who are different from you.
    • You will lose valuable opportunities to grow if you only associate with your own all the time. It is important to get to know students who are different from you. It could be someone from a different part of the country, or from another country, a different ethnicity, a different religion, someone who has different views from yours, or who has different interests and perspectives.

News Archive

A call for next generation of professors: Apply for the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestige Scholars’ Programme
2014-12-19

 

Examples of the rector's prestige scholars' international footprint: Dr Olihile Sebolai, Fulbright scholar (left) returned to the UFS after six months at the University of Birmingham and three at the University of Missouri. Dr Cilliers van den Berg (right) visited Cornell University on a ten-month sabbatical.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Prestige Scholars’ Programme (PSP) seeks to identify, develop and promote the next cohort of the most promising and talented UFS academic members of staff who obtained a doctoral degree within the last five years or will graduate by June 2015.

Scholars identified benefit from an intensive programme of academic and professional support that includes an advanced residential programme, exposure to leading scholars, concentrated reading and writing programmes, high-level seminar participation and presentation, nuanced publication schedules and personal mentoring and advice, including participation in the annual PSP mock NRF rating and the development of a postdoctoral intellectual project for funding submission (Thuthuka, and similar).

Past prestige scholars have become Fulbright scholars, received funding from among others the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Erasmus Mundus, NRF Blue Skies, Thuthuka, etc. They have spent time at universities in Canada, the USA, United Kingdom, Europe and Japan.

This year the selection process will be anticipated by pre-selection. Final selection to the programme will take place in September 2015. The selection is highly competitive, and aimed at those young scholars with the potential to obtain upper-level NRF ratings (Y1 and P).

Criteria for selection:

Recently obtained a PhD degree. 
Evidence of an active publication record. 
Early recognition of scholarly work, e.g. successful funding/grant applications and academic awards. 
The early development of a post-doctoral intellectual project that shows evidence of scholarly “potential” (defined by the NRF Y-category). 
Indication of the young scholar’s understanding of what their envisaged postdoctoral endeavours will contribute to the body of disciplinary knowledge. 
Full participation in the pre-selection residential programme and activities is a requirement for selection.

Call for interest: 2015 (PDF)

Requests for further information can be directed to Prof Jackie du Toit at dutoitjs@ufs.ac.za.

Applications close on 16 February 2015.

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