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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  

Dr Martin Mandew, Qwaqwa Campus Principal
Dr Martin Mandew, Qwaqwa Campus Principal
#UFSWalktoUhuru arrives the Qwaqwa Campus
#UFSWalktoUhuru arrives the Qwaqwa Campus
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News Archive

Department of Chemistry moves into world-class facilities
2008-05-16

 

Attending the opening of the first and second phases of the Department of Chemistry's upgraded research facilities on the Main Campus of the UFS in Bloemfontein are, from the left: Prof. André Roodt, Head of the department, Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS, and Ms Tania van Zyl, Architect from Goldblatt Yuill Architects in Bloemfontein.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

UFS Department of Chemistry moves into world-class facilities

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Chemistry recently moved into the first and second phases of the southern wing of the upgraded Moerdyk and annex building in which the department is situated. The wing is part an extensive project to upgrade the building and its facilities.

At a total costs of R40 million for the upgrading of the building and R30 million for the equipment, this is the biggest project of its kind in the history of the UFS.

The upgrading is taking place in four phases, of which the largest part is the southern wing. Researchers and undergraduate students recently moved into this part of the building, which consists of the first- and second-year laboratories. The laboratories consist of, among others, larger and safer venting and research-focused facilities as well as enough storage for the department’s equipment. Although one of the water-cooling systems on the roof of the building recently caught fire, all classes, practical and research work is going ahead without any disturbance.

“The putting into service of the first two phases is a milestone for the department. The project is almost half way and, when it is completed by the middle to end of 2009, we will boast with some of the best research and undergraduate laboratories in the country. It will also increase our leadership in advanced training on the continent and will strengthen the UFS’s role in the international chemistry arena,” says Prof. André Roodt, head of the department.

According to Prof. Roodt advanced research on fuel and nano particles (this is particles as big as one hundred thousandth of a human hair strand) will be conducted in the completed laboratories as part of the UFS’s research cluster initiative. Other research such as anti cancer remedies, research on various chemical processes and research on biological pharmacological remedies will also be done.

“During the past three years the department has made a significant impact on research in chemistry worldwide. Our academics are publishing in some of the world’s foremost chemistry journals and various presentations are made at international conferences. The upgraded facilities will ensure that we continue building on our high quality research and it will also ensure that our students can compete with the best in the world,” says Prof. Roodt.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
16 May 2008

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