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23 October 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Valentino Ndaba
Dr Patience book
From left: Prof Melanie Walker (SARChI Chair and Director of Higher Education and Human Development Research Group), Dr Patience Mukwambo (author of the monograph), and Dr Mikateko Hoppener, Senior Researcher in the group.

“A quality higher-education learning experience is a transformative experience for both students and lecturers who develop their minds in criticality, as well as social and self-identity, in addition to other skills and competencies.” This was the message from Dr Patience Mukwambo at the launch of her recently published book – ‘Quality in Higher Education as a Tool for Human Development: Enhancing Teaching and Learning in Zimbabwe’.

The book is a product of her doctoral research and was launched by the office of the SARChI Chair in Higher Education and Human Development, where Dr Mukwambo is a full-time researcher and was introduced at an event held at the Bloemfontein campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) on 21 October 2019. 

Depressing higher-education system

Dr Mukwambo was joined in conversation by Prof Brian Raftopoulos, a Mellon Senior Research Mentor in the Centre for Humanities Research at University of the Western Cape. 

Both scholars testified to the concept of critical thinking, alluding to the depressing state of education in Zimbabwe due to limitations posed by a non-expanding economy and a repressive political space. 

Prof Raftopoulos told the audience the idea of critical thinking has a long genealogy in radical thought which has deepened its roots in modern-day society. 

“What you have seen through the introduction of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), is the increasing idea of functionalising education for a work economy. More often than not, you will hear the state saying it is up to school-leavers to create their own jobs,” said Prof Raftopoulos. According to Dr Mukwambo, part of the challenge is that “critical thinking is omitted on purpose and therefore universities lack a moral compass to work from”.

“While the broader economy might be constraining there are opportunities to develop critical thinking in the classroom, although it might not be uniform across all universities,” said Dr Mukwambo.

Equipping graduates with critical-thinking skills contributes to a range of benefits, such as improved wellbeing, economic outcomes, political engagement, and human capital formation. Quality in teaching and learning is therefore indeed a step in the right direction, towards social justice.


News Archive

Wayde nominated with SA’s best
2015-11-04

      
Wayde van Niekerk sweating on
Pellies Park at the University of the Free State
Bloemfontein Campus.
Photo: Charl Devenish

The Kovsie athlete Wayde van Niekerk’s dream year is not over yet.

The University of the Free State’s golden boy was nominated in two categories of the SA Sports Awards in Johannesburg on 3 November 2015 . The winners of the tenth SA Sports Awards will be crowned in Van Niekerk’s home town, Bloemfontein, on 22 November 2015.
  
For the awards, sports stars are being judged on their achievements between 1 September 2014 and 30 September 2015.

The 23-year-old Van Niekerk was nominated as Sportsman of the Year and in the People’s Choice category.

One of three with two nominations

Van Niekerk is one of three sports stars nominated for two awards. The other two are the swimmer, Chad le Clos (Sportsman of the Year and People’s Choice), and the cyclist, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Sportswoman of the Year and People’s Choice).

In the category Sportsman of the Year, Van Niekerk was nominated with Le Clos, and the mountain biker, Greg Minnaar.

He will compete against the Protea cricket player AB de Villiers, Moolman-Pasio, Le Clos, and the wheelchair tennis player, Lucas Sithole, for the People’s Choice Award.

After enjoying a dream year, Van Niekerk was named on 21 October 2015 as KovsieSport’s Sportsman of the Year for a third consecutive year.

In August, he won the 400 m at the World Championships in Beijing in a time of 43.48 s. His winning time was the sixth fastest in history, with only three athletes achieving better times.

NBC Olympics, a division of the American broadcasting network NBC, recently filmed a special insert on him at the UFS Bloemfontein Campus. The insert will be screened in the build-up to, and during, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Vote for Wayde


Supporters have until 21:00 on 22 November 2015 to vote for their favourite sports stars, by sending an SMS at the cost of R1,50 to 45210.

To vote for Van Niekerk in the category People’s Choice, send an SMS with the letter E to 45210.

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