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03 April 2019 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Vhugala Nthakheni
Uhuru Qwaqwa Arrival
The #UFSWalkToUhuru team arrives at the UFS Qwaqwa Campus on Friday 22 March.

The University of the Free State (UFS) Division of Student Affairs, in collaboration with the UFS Office for International Affairs, have joined hands to drive a fundraising and student-accessibility initiative dubbed, ‘The Walk to Uhuru’ (#UFSWalktoUhuru), which is aimed at raising funds and advocating for the educational rights of the less privileged. 

The project aims to raise funds in excess of R2 million from the public and stakeholders affiliated with the UFS (Kovsie staff and students). The project derives from the 2018/2019 UFS Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) mandate ‘Students Must Graduate’. The ISRC mandate aims to source funding opportunities for UFS students to register, and to complete their studies across all three campuses in 2020 and beyond.

The first leg of the project, a 350 km walk from the Bloemfontein to the Qwaqwa Campus, has already taken place and concluded on Friday, 22 March 2019 as planned. The #UFSWalkToUhuru team successfully completed the first leg of their journey to academic freedom for financially disadvantaged students at the UFS. The Uhuru team is now focusing its attention on the second leg and is determined to take on Mount Kilimanjaro (Uhuru) from 20 June to 20 July 2019.

The team sat down for a debriefing session to unpack the overall experience and result of the first half of the initiative, and they all agreed that the walk to Qwaqwa was an enlightening experience. It was a walk that comprised learning opportunities, team building, and goal crushing.

According to Rethabile Motseki, member of the #UFSWalkToUhuru team, the walk to Qwaqwa made a significant impact on the project, as the university community is now aware of the significant goals that the team is trying to accomplish. The team has also resumed their fitness-training programme to ensure that they are ready to take on the Uhuru climb in June.

A media briefing will take place shortly (date to be confirmed) to detail the ongoing fundraising initiatives rolled out by the #UFSWalkToUhuru team.  We implore you, and the nation as a whole, to help establish a better future for disadvantaged UFS students by donating to the initiative.

Students, staff, and the public can support the cause and make contributions/donations to the initiative by visiting the UFS Walk to Uhuru #givengain account page.

For more information, contact UFS SRC President, Sonwabile Dwaba, on DwabaSJ@ufs.ac.za  or Rethabile Motseki on MotsekiR@ufs.ac.za  

News Archive

Prof Corli Witthuhn appointed as Vice-Rector: Research
2013-03-18

 

The portfolio of Vice-Rector: Research is new and was created as part of the university's academic project in which the institution aims to increase its research activities and outputs.
Photo: Supplied
12 March 2013

Curriculum Vitae

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) approved the appointment of Prof Corli Witthuhn as Vice-Rector: Research, during its meeting on 8 March 2013.

Prof Witthuhn brings with her years of experience in higher education, both in terms of scientific research and serving in senior management positions in university structures.

Prof Witthuhn obtained her PhD in Microbiology at the UFS in 1999. She then joined Stellenbosch University (SU) as a lecturer and served as an academic at the US for 12 years. She was appointed as Vice-Dean in the Faculty of AgriSciences at US until she joined the UFS.

Since August 2011, she has been employed at the UFS as Professor and Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. She is one of the co-directors of the university's Vice-Chancellor's Prestige Scholars Programme, aiming to identify and develop the careers of young academic scholars at the UFS.

Prof Witthuhn’s research focus is on food microbiology and she is still actively involved in research. She is a NRF C2-rated scientist who has published more than 60 international articles in peer-reviewed journals. She has supervised numerous doctoral and master’s students and acts as reviewer for leading international journals. During her research career, she has been able to negotiate research funding from national and international funders, as well as from industry.

The portfolio of Vice-Rector: Research is new and was created as part of the university's academic project in which the institution aims to increase its research activities and outputs.

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