Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
21 May 2019 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Ian van Straaten
Dr Thandi Gumede
Dr Thandi Gumede graduated with a PhD in Polymer Science. She is from Intabazwe, Harrismith.

The Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State was a hive of activity on 17 and 18 May 2019, when over 800 degrees, diplomas, and certificates were conferred on deserving achievers. These included six PhDs and 14 master’s degrees across the four faculties.

Congratulating the graduates on both days, was Africa’s youngest PhD and Industrial Psychology lecturer, Dr Musawenkosi Saurombe, and Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor.

Be like heat

Dr Saurombe started her address by relating her school journey that saw her starting Grade 1 at age 5, thus later matriculating at the age of 15, having skipped Grades 3 and 10. She went on to emphasise the importance of building an honourable character.

“As a graduate, you will soon realise that your degree is useless if you do not have character,” she said to an attentive audience that continued to marvel at her remarkable school history. She encouraged graduates to be like heat that cannot be seen but can only be felt. “Noise can often be seen and heard, but it cannot be felt. However, while heat cannot always be seen, it is always felt. Be like heat and may your presence always be felt,” she said.

Do not focus on yourself

Prof Francis Petersen also encouraged graduates to look beyond their degrees by developing a set of critical values.
 
“For us as the university, this ceremony is not just about your degrees. It is about the values that you must live by,” he said. “As a graduate of the UFS, do not just believe what you are told. Ask questions and engage critically. Secondly, do not just focus on yourself. Remember that you are part of a community and it is your responsibility to make our world a better place for others. You need to be socially responsive to the needs of your community. Thirdly, remember that integrity plays a very important role. This will determine how others value you,” he said.

The two ceremonies also saw three current SRC members graduating. They are Lebohang Miya (BEd FET – Accounting and Business Studies), Duduzile Mhlongo (BA – Geography and isiZulu), and Mhlongo Sinemfundo (BA – Geography and isiZulu).

News Archive

Students honoured in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
2006-05-02

The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) honoured students who have excelled in 2005.

From the left are Mr Louis Theron (best B Com student in Actuarial Science, best third-year student in the Private Sector Management Programme and best third-year student in Bank Management), Miss Madri Victor (best first-year student in Industrial Psychology, Economics, Business Management and Financial Accounting), Mr Jaco Opperman (best B Acc honours student in Auditing, best B Acc honours student in Tax and best student in the Certificate for the Theory of Accounting), Prof Tienie Crous (Dean: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences), Mr Michael von Maltitz (best postgraduate student in Economics and student with the best postgraduate paper in Economics) and Ms Cathy Stokes (best student in the master's degree in Development Support, best student for course work in the master's degree in Development Support and best student in Applied Development Research).
 

During the autumn graduation ceremony of the University of the Free State (UFS) Mr Louis Theron was awarded the dean's medal for the final-year student who achieved the best results in respect of a first bachelor's degree in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.  Mr Theron obtained a B Com in Actuarial Science.

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