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17 September 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Valentino Ndaba
Diversity festival
Staff and students come together in celebration at the International Cultural Diversity Festival.


There are 195 countries in the world and the University of the Free State (UFS) officially has a personal relationship with 24 of them. Be it through exchange inbound or outbound programmes or research collaboration, Kovsies is growing its global footprint.

The 2019 International Cultural Diversity Festival brought a mix of music, dance, and poetry to the Bloemfontein Campus on Friday 13 September 2019. The aim of the festival was to recognise, appreciate and celebrate the diverse cultures represented on all our campuses.

Reeling in and rolling out the best talent pool

As stated in the 2018 Internationalisation Report, “Kovsies currently has about 50 international collaboration agreements, and collaboration with 1 584 institutions,” in terms of research. The plan is to widen researchers’ international networks, with a special focus on the African continent.

Finding strength in diversity

“Diversity within groups at the UFS necessitates that we foster a culture of tolerance and a spirit of mutual acceptance and appreciation at our university,” says Chevon Slambee, Chief Officer at the Office for International Affairs (OIA).

Slambee spoke on behalf of the Vice-Rector: Research and Internationalisation, Prof Corli Witthuhn, and the Director of the OIA, Cornelius Hagenmeier, commending the diversity reflected in our international students and staff community.

She mirrored the views of the Kovsie community at large in calling for an end to division and violence based on “othering”. Referring to the upsurge in violence directed against women and people from other countries that we saw in South Africa last month, Slambee remarked: “We are shocked and speechless in light of these events, which are contrary to the spirit of embracing one another’s humanity, which we believe in and want to promote.”

Content photo International
The International Cultural Diversity was filled with entertainment.

A coming together

The festival theme this year was the Boma which is a traditional space created back in the day where a community would sit around the fire, drumming, singing, dancing and listening to tales told by the elders. The UFS strives to be a similar space – growing the current number of international relationships and immersing the institution in the global village – the African way.

News Archive

UFS to host one the most prestigious seminars in leadership
2004-09-28

The Business School of the University of the Free State (UFS) will be hosting the Central Region’s screening of the largest global satellite broadcast of the 2004 Living Leadership: Delivering Results the Right Way event.

The event, which will take place on 21 October 2004 from 09:00-16:30 at the Albert Wessels Auditorium on campus, will be up linked from Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and will be broadcasted via satellite to 95 cities in two countries.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for leaders in the Central Region to gain exposure to the pioneers in the international leadership field,” said Prof Helena van Zyl, Director of the UFS’s School of Management.

The global satellite simulcast will bring together a powerful diverse group of the world’s leading business authorities. This includes Mr Donald Trump, chairman of The Trump Organisation; Mr Mikhail Gorbachev, Nobel Peace Prize Winner and former president of the Soviet Union; Mr Jim Collins, speaking on his recent best-seller, Good To Great; Mr Peter Drucker, father of management and author of The Effective Executive; Ms Rosabeth Moss Kanter, professor at Harvard Business School; Mr Ken Blanchard, best-selling author of The One Minute Manager; Mr John C Maxwell, best-selling author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and acclaimed speaker; Mr Russell Simmons, entrepreneur and co-founder of Def Jam Records and Mr Larry Bossidy, co-author of the best-seller, Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done.

According to Prof Van Zyl the Living Leadership global satellite broadcast will give attendants exclusive access to the Financial Mail’s Executive Panel. It will also give local executives and renowned leaders the opportunity to share their interpretation of leadership in practical, relevant terms.

Mr Jack Welch’s executive assistant and author of Managing Up, Ms Rosanne Badowski and Ms Caroline Kepcher, an executive vice president to Mr Donald Trump and a lead role on NBC’s hit show, The Apprentice, will join the panel with a special session.

Each of the cutting-edge insights shared by this gathering of world-class leadership authorities will deliver effective benchmarks which teams will use to shape their business outcomes.

The cost is R950,00 per person (group discount is also available) – this includes the receipt of two free issues of the Financial Mail. Tickets are available at Computicket.

For more information on this seminar visit www.livingleadership.co.za or contact Ms Isa Boshoff at 051-4012874 / boshofia.ekw@mail.uovs.ac.za .

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
28 September 2004
 

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