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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

Growth in scholarly books ‘is remarkable’
2016-09-16

Description: Scholarly Books 2016 Tags: Scholarly Books 2016

The UFS is proud of the variety of books and
scholarly articles published by scholars
in various fields.
Photo: Charl Devenish

The UFS has shown steady growth in its output of scholarly articles. Dr Glen Taylor, Senior Director of Research Development, says “the UFS has shown remarkable growth in the output of scholarly book publications over the recent years." The 13,83 subsidy units from scholarly books in 2010 has grown to 98,52 in 2014, elevating the university to fourth position nationwide. 

“It is encouraging for the research office to see that the number of books has increased over the years, together with the units we receive for subsidy, but also the steady increase in the quality of our scholarly books in general,” he said.

Contributors to the growth in scholarly publications include Dr Christian Williams of the Department of Anthropology, celebrated journalist Zubeida Jaffer, as well as JC van der Merwe, the Deputy Director of the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ), and Dionne van Reenen, researcher and PhD candidate at the IRSJ. Dr Williams received the 2016 Distinguished Scholar Book Prize at the official opening of the UFS earlier this year. The book, National Liberation in Postcolonial Southern Africa: A Historical Ethnography of SWAPO’s exile camps, is the first full-length scholarly monograph on SWAPO and Namibians in exile. 
 
The 13,83 subsidy units from scholarly books in 2010 was approximately a 10% increase in outputs from 2005 to 2010. In 2010, the higher education institution sector as a whole produced 401,68 units from scholarly books. The UFS contribution of approximately 3,44% put the university in tenth position. 

“The increase in subsidy for scholarly books should stimulate the sector further, and an increase in scholarly books is expected, which complements the university research output strategy to become a leading research-intensive institution,” Dr Taylor said.

 

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