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21 February 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Rulanzen Martin
Jennifer Östlings and Elin Stengvist,
Jennifer Östlings and Elin Stenqvist, two of our international students from Sweden also celebrated #WorldMotherTongueDay.

Back in 2000, UNESCO declared 21 February as World Mother Tongue Day. It is an effort to raise the importance of multilingualism across the world. Every year, the day is commemorated through various projects and campaigns all over the world.

At the University of the Free State (UFS), we pride ourselves in the diverse languages spoken by our staff and students across the three campuses.  Read below what some of our language academics at the UFS wrote on #WorldMotherTongueDay.

#WorldMotherTongueDay: Keteka puo ya hao ya Mme

UNESCO e ile ya phatlalatsa letsatsi la la 21 Hlakola jwalo ka letsatsi la lefatshe la puo ya Mme morao kwana ka 2000. Ke boikgathatso bo boholo ho hlahisa poaneng bohlokwa ba dipuo tse ngata tse fapaneng ho parola le lefatshe. Selemo se seng le se seng letsatsi lena le ketekwa ka diprojeke tse fapaneng le ka matsholo lefatsheng ho pota.

Mona Yunivesithing ya Freistata (UFS) re motlotlo ka hore re na le dipuo tse fapaneng tse sebediswang ke moifo wa rona le baithuti ho parola le dikhamphase tse tharo.  Bala hore na ke eng e boletsweng ke diakhamemiki tse ding tsa puo mona UFS ho #WorldMotherTongueDay.

#Wêreldmoedertaaldag: Vier jou moedertaal

UNESCO het in 2000 reeds 21 Februarie as Wêreldmoedertaaldag verklaar. Dit is ’n poging om die belangrikheid van veeltaligheid oor die wêreld heen te beklemtoon. Hierdie dag word elke jaar wêreldwyd deur middel van verskeie projekte en veldtogte herdenk.

By die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) is ons trots op die verskillende tale wat ons personeel en studente op die drie kampusse praat.  Lees hieronder wat sommige taalakademici aan die UV oor #Wêreldmoedertaaldag geskryf het.


English is a blend of different lexicons ( Dr Susan Brokensha, Department of English)

Celebrating My Mother Tongue (Menzi Thango, Department of African Languages)

Meertaalighied skep ruimte vir diversiteit(Prof Angeqliue van Niekerk, Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French)


 


News Archive

Prof Jonathan Jansen steps down as UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector
2016-05-16

Statement by Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS (pdf)

Statement by Judge Ian van der Merwe, Chairperson: UFS Council

Prof Jonathan Jansen will step down as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS) on 31 August 2016.

He will take up an invitation as a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University in the USA in September 2016. The fellowship, which was awarded to him earlier this year, is an opportunity for him to further advance his career as an internationally renowned academic in education. Prof Jansen’s departure is a great loss for the university, but the Council accepts his decision to step down and pursue his academic career as well as other opportunities.

The Council is grateful for the vision and the inspirational leadership that Prof Jansen provided during his tenure at the UFS. He has led the university through difficult and complex times – from after the Reitz incident up until the recent student protest actions. He brought stability and respect for the university – nationally as well as internationally.

The Council appreciates Prof Jansen’s drive to further the academic performance and transformation of the UFS. To this end he was instrumental in the improvement of student success and graduation rates, the increase in the percentage of academic staff with doctoral qualifications, the increase in research outputs, the growth in staff diversity, and the growth in third-stream income.

Furthermore, Prof Jansen played a significant part in developing the UFS as a place where the embrace of diversity and the integration of the university provide a backdrop for academic excellence. Under his leadership, the UFS made great strides in fulfilling its social responsibility to serve the community. He was the right leader at the right time for the university.

On behalf of the Council and the entire university community, I thank him for his contributions as a capable, energetic and dedicated leader and wish him the best for his future.

Prof Jansen was appointed as Vice-Chancellor and Rector on 1 July 2009 and his term of office was extended for another five years by the Council on 1 July 2014. 

In the event that the position is not filled by the end of August 2016, Prof Nicky Morgan, current Vice-Rector: Operations at the UFS, will act as Vice-Chancellor and Rector. The Council will shortly start the process to appoint a successor through a national and international search.

Released by: Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Tel: +27(0)51 401 3422/2707 or +27(0)83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
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