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Embark on your Gateway to an exciting Kovsie life

23 January 2020 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa

Enrich your first University of the Free State (UFS) experiences with the annual Gateway first-year’s college. Form long-lasting friendships and memories with your fellow freshmen and gear up for a vibrant academic career at the UFS.

Gateway comprises an exciting series of student-life and learning experiences that are intended to introduce and acquaint students with their respective Kovsie campuses and overall UFS campus life.

The 2020 Gateway programme inducts first-year students into academic faculty life in order to help them adjust and settle into the university environment. It also aims to instil effective skills in them to thrive academically, and to develop into well-rounded, globally competitive graduates.

Want to experience Gateway? Here’s how

The Gateway Orientation programme on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus is conducted according to student colleges. First-year students who do not belong to an on-campus or day residence on the Bfn Campus, are assigned to a college in Exam Room 3 during their registration. This enables them to follow and be part of the series of events according to the colleges they are assigned to.

Get to know your UFS campus

UFS Campus Tours no longer form part of the Gateway Programme; however, Gateway mentors assigned to specific colleges are available for students to get in touch with, in order to arrange tours of the Bloemfontein Campus. Day-residence students and students residing on campus are paired with P3 mentors, who have been placed in their respective residences to facilitate campus tours for them.

KovsiesACTUP Performing Arts Competition

The UFS Arts, Culture and Dialogue office has partnered with the Kovsie ACT office for the 2020 Gateway programme, introducing the KovsiesACTUP Performing Arts Competition for all prospective and current students of the UFS. It is geared towards engaging students and enhancing the general social atmosphere on the Bloemfontein Campus during registration.

The competition comprises various categories, including dancing, singing, poetry, DJing, musical bands, and rap. The winner from each category will walk away with R1 500 in cash. The competition finale will be held at the RAG farm on 27 January 2020 at 14:00.

For more information on how to get involved with the Arts, Culture and Dialogue Office, students can visit the Callie Human Centre on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus. The office has set up a performance stage, where fellow Kovsies associated with the office are entertaining prospective students and parents who are waiting to register.

For enquiries about Gateway on each campus, see the details below:

Bloemfontein Campus: +27 51 401 9876 or email gateway@ufs.ac.za
Qwaqwa Campus: Dulcie Malimabe, +27 58 718 5041; malimabeDP@ufs.ac.za
South Campus: Tshego Setilo, +27 51 505 1362; SetiloT@ufs.ac.za

Visit the UFS Gateway page for more information on the 2020 programme and how you can get involved.

News Archive

University is proud of its women in science

2013-08-17

Dr Marieka Gryzenhout
Photo: Sonia Small
19 August 2013

Two lecturers in the Department of Plant Sciences received national recognition for their research at the Women in Science Award 2013 function of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) on Friday 16 August 2013. Dr Marieka Gryzenhout received the award as Young Women Scientist and Prof Maryke Labuschagne was first runner-up in the category Distinguished Women Researcher, both in Life Sciences.

The third award-winner was Rose Lekhooa in the Doctoral Fellowship category. She is studying toward a PhD in Pharmacology and said the fellowship will enable her to attend seminars and workshops internationally.

Friday’s award was the second, in as many months, for Dr Gryzenhout. She received the TW Kambule NRF-NSTF Award as emerging researcher in June 2013. She was the recipient of the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations’ Outstanding Doctoral Research award in 2010.

Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, said, “Dr Gryzenhout represents one of a growing group of very impressive young scientists at the university who are emerging as leading international scholars in their fields.

“Her international leadership in mycology research has already made significant impacts on the African continent and beyond. The university will continue to invest in these young academic stars through its Prestige Scholars Programme where scholars like Dr Gryzenhout are increasingly well-placed to be the next generation of scientific leaders in the world.”

“It as a great privilege to receive the award, especially as second one in this year,” Dr Gryzenhout said. She established a research programme, Mycotoxigenic and Phytopathogenic Fungi, at the UFS. She is president of the African Mycological Association and general secretary of the International Society for Fungal Conservation. She is also a member of the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi – a permanent committee of the International Botanical Congress.

Prof Labuschagne received the African Union Kwame Nkrumah award for life and earth sciences in 2011, and the National Agriculturalist of the Year Award and the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Award for research-capacity development over the last five to ten years, both in 2008.

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