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07 May 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Charl Devenish
Noko Masalesa
Noko Masalesa, Director of Protection Services, in conversation with students and stakeholders to plan a safe way forward.

Safety and security are human rights that constitute social justice. At the centre of the agenda at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Social Justice Week held on the Bloemfontein Campus from 17-22 April 2019 were discussions about off-campus safety. Stakeholders agreed on an upgrade to security measures in order to ensure the success and wellbeing of the student population.

A call to students

Prof John Mubangizi, Dean of the Faculty of Law, in his capacity as representative of the UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, expressed his view on institutions of higher learning no longer functioning as ivory towers. “For any initiative to succeed, collaboration is necessary between key roleplayers,” he said.

He aptly pointed out that: “We cannot underscore the importance of safety and security, not only for the university but also for the communities around us. What the university does benefits the community and vice versa. I pledge the university’s commitment to play a leading part to ensure that the collaboration works,” said Prof Mubangizi.

Beefing up security: Who is involved?

In view of the collaborative effort Prof Mubangizi alluded to, the engagement was twofold. First was the roundtable discussion facilitated by Protection Services which then escalated into a public dialogue where students had the opportunity to interact with external delegates.

The South African Police Services, Community Police Forum, Private Security, Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Provincial Commissioner, and Deputy Minister of Police were well represented in this critical conversation. Internally, members of Protection Services, Housing and Residence Affairs, Student Affairs, Institute for Social Justice and Reconciliation, Student Representative Council, and the Department of Criminology heard the plight of off-campus safety faced by students.

Changes in the horizon

The discussions culminated with recommendations which will see the future of student safety take a different direction. According to Skhululekile Luwaca, former SRC president, these include “the municipality’s commitment to immediately address issues such as street lights and enforcing by-laws, ensuring an integrated accreditation system, and drafting a policy for off-campus accommodation, running more crime awareness campaigns, and giving police patrols more visibility.”

In addition to resolving to set up a student safety forum with all the stakeholders, the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has invited the UFS to join Reclaim the City – a safety forum where practical solutions to crime are devised and implemented on a weekly basis.


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Second group joins Prestige Scholars Programme
2013-02-22

 

Some of the new scholars in the programme are seen here with Prof Jackie du Toit. From the left are: Drs Gladys Kigozi (Centre For Health Systems Research & Development), Brian van Soelen (Physics), Charles Haddad (Zoology and Entomology), Prof Du Toit and Tanya Beelders (Computer Science and Informatics).
Photo: Johan Roux
22 February 2013


A second group of 15 young academics is selected to be part of the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestige Scholars Programme (PSP). The first group of 25 scholars joined the programme in 2011 and some of them were placed at partner universities abroad during 2012.

The programme identifies and promotes promising young academics in the university towards becoming full professors with superior research accomplishments.

Prof Jackie du Toit, Academic Co-director of PSP, says: “This highly prestigious cross-disciplinary programme for the next generation of UFS professors in the last two years produced Fulbright scholars; NRF Y1-rated young scholars; NRF Blue Skies and Thuthuka recipients and several National Research Foundation Y2 ratings.

“Scholars on the programme have created partnerships at leading universities in Japan, Europe, the UK and the USA. Within the South African academy, the PSP is a novel approach to the advancement of scholarship and the development of professional scholars. It contributes towards positioning the UFS as an innovator among research universities in this country.”

“This fast-tracking of the next generation of professors involves an intense mentorship programme at the UFS and an international placement with a leading scholar in a top university.”

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