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Internationalisation at home: Perspectives from abroad

30 April 2020 | Story Baptiste Becret | Photo Supplied

Since the approval of the University of the Free State (UFS) internationalisation strategy for 2018-2022, the UFS community and staff members of the Office for International Affairs (OIA) have been working hard to try and realise the goals stated in the strategy. The policy states “the university's’ commitment to developing curricula that are locally relevant, globally competitive and connect to multiple knowledge paradigms”. Furthermore, “We expect that the new internationalisation strategy will advance the international positioning of the university, and synergise the existing rich international activities into intentional, comprehensive internationalisation processes”.

In an effort to realise the said expectations through the university’s inbound mobility programme, the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French in the Faculty of the Humanities has hired Baptiste Becret, an exchange student from French partner university, Science PO Bordeaux, as French tutor for the first semester of 2020. This collaboration by the two departments endeavours to achieve the university’s vision of developing its students’ international and intercultural competencies through internationalisation at home. Equally, this initiative speaks to a critical aspect of internationalisation, the “purposeful integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the formal curriculum for the UFS students within the domestic learning environment”.

Being the only Frenchman on campus

“I was the only Frenchman on campus and at the university, which I rather enjoyed. I learned at the beginning of this year, in January, that I could share my culture and language by helping students participating in the first- and second-year French courses at the university. For my part, I was attached to the Faculty of the Humanities. I've already had experience as a tutor in France, so I wasn't very stressed at the idea of being in front of a class. I enjoyed trying to teach my mother tongue. My contact with the French teacher was good. He gave me a lot of freedom to do the activities I wanted to do.

I didn't think that passing on my knowledge to the first-year class would be so difficult. Indeed, for some of them, they have never spoken a word of French. But the atmosphere improved from class to class after a shy start. I hope I was able to help them as best I could. In any case, I was very happy to teach them and to assist them in their various difficulties with the language. For the second-year class, the atmosphere was a little different. The class was smaller, the students already knew each other well, and they were pretty close. Additionally, their language level was already good.

All this to say that being a French tutor was a great experience. It was enriching for both parties (students and me). Of course, I tried to do the best I could, and I took advantage of the free time my schedule gave me to share a little bit of my home country. So, I advise future international students – if they feel comfortable with that – to give it a try. It's only two hours a week with a little bit of extra money. Finally, I would like to thank the International Office for informing me of this opportunity, the people involved in the programme, including my coordinator, the French teacher, and especially the students who have been super cool to me.”

News Archive

UFS council appoints new representatives

2006-06-14

From the left are Dr Vicky le Roux and Mr Jan Grobler, both are former members of the Executive Committee of the Council, Judge Faan Hancke, chairperson of the Council, and Prof. Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.
Photo: Stephen Collett

UFS council appoints new representatives

Three new representatives were elected on the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Council during its second seating for 2006. This includes representatives from the religious community, alumni, donors and the Minister of Education.

Ms Cheryl Gillwald, former Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, has been appointed by the Minister of Education as ministerial representative in the place of Prof Shirley Walters and will serve for the rest of Prof Walters’ term.

Father Patrick Towe, Roman Catholic priest from Bloemfontein, was appointed as representative of the religious community. Father Towe is member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and chairperson of the UFS Campus Ministries.

Adv Mauritz Randlehoff, joint deputy chairperson of the national Kovsie-Alumni Association and deputy chairperson of the Kovsie-Alumni Trust, was elected as one of the three representatives out of UFS alumni on the Council. Judge Faan Hancke was re-elected as representative of the alumni for a second term.

Mr Klippies Steenkamp as representative of the UFS donors has also been re-elected. He was, among others, chairperson of the Kovsie-Alumni Association and founding member of the Kovsie-Alumni Trust’s council of trustees.

The university also bid farewell to two members of Council, Dr Vicky le Roux and Mr Jan Grobler. Both were members of the Executive Committee of the Council. Mr Grobler represented the UFS Council in the Institutional Forum and Dr le Roux was a representative of the Council in the Institutional Forum and the Senate. Together they have serve thirty nine years on the Council.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
13 June 2006

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