Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
17 July 2020 | Story Nitha Ramnath | Photo iStock
The UFS initiated a new community engagement programme to help communities take charge of their lives.
The University of the Free State (UFS) is launching a new community engagement programme to help communities take charge of their lives during and after the national lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The E-Community Engagement Programme will run for the duration of the lockdown to ensure that the UFS continues to serve all people. This programme is one of more than 120 community development programmes and projects that the UFS is involved with this year.

Rev Billyboy Ramahlele, Director: Community Engagement, says this strategy is the result of the Institutional Transformation Plan, which seeks to deepen the university’s commitment towards the betterment of our communities by creating sustainable partnerships for development. “This programme is dedicated to assisting communities to take charge of their lives during and after this pandemic and will focus on sustainable livelihoods and family support”, he says.

With these community development programmes and projects, about 3 000 UFS students spend at least 127 000 hours per year engaging in 73 service-learning modules. This excludes the clinical work done by our medical and education students in the community through community-based education and inter-professional learning. The university’s 22 student volunteer associations play an important role in community development projects. Our academics and researchers contribute their intellectual resources through their involvement, teaching, and research in different aspects of community life.

The E-Community Engagement Programme refers to an alternative online/virtual community engagement platform aimed at facilitating continuously negotiated collaborations and partnerships between the UFS and the interest groups that it interacts with, aimed at building and exchanging the knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources required to develop and sustain society. Such alternative engagement stems from adapting physical face-to-face (f2f) community engagement to an e-environment. As a result of the uncertain state of restricted f2f engagement during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of participation, dialogue, engaged learning, and teaching by university staff and students is on citizens actively participating in the development of their own lives and that of their surrounding communities.

Details of the E-Community Engagement Programme will soon be published on the UFS website, and will be presented on radio and online in partnership with Motheo FM, Mosupatsela FM, Kovsie FM, Mangaung Municipality, Towers of Hope, Princess Gabo Foundation, Rock Foundation, Bloemshelter, and all our faculties.


News Archive

UFS Centenary 2004/05 : October snippets
2004-10-06

CENTENARY CONFERENCE
The proposed Centenary Conference on Democracy, Diversity and Development : Towards a mature and robust society – A critical discourse, refers. Unfortunately many invited contributors are unable to attend on the proposed dates (12 to 15 October 2004) prompting the UFS management to reconsider the timing of the conference. The UFS management has therefore decided to postpone this conference until an appropriate time in 2005.

As a result of this postponement the SAUVCA activities will also no longer be part of the October programme in Bloemfontein.

CENTENARY COMPLEX
The rehabilitation of the existing Reitz Hall and adjoining residence into the Centenary Complex is almost complete.

The inauguration of the complex – Reitz Hall and DF Malherbe House – will take place on Tuesday, the 12th of October 2004. A special open day from 11:00 until 16:00 is planned to enable all staff and students to visit this prestige complex. More detail will be available early October 2004.

FILM PREMIERE
The premiere of an UFS commissioned documentary, as part of its Centenary celebrations, on the remarkable leadership, reconciliatory and nation-building role of King Moshoeshoe, the Basotho leader of the nineteenth century, will take place on Wednesday, the 13th of October 2004. The director of this commissioned documentary is the well-known Max du Preez. Although this event is open to invited guests only, the documentary will also be screened by the SABC later this year. It will also be screened at several other occasions to enable staff and students to experience and discuss this film.

With this film and other projects the University of the Free State wishes to celebrate the legacy of this extraordinary African leader for the Free State and for South Africa.

CENTENARY HONORARY DOCTORATE GRADUATION CEREMONY
A special Honorary Doctorate Graduation Ceremony will take place on the 14th of October 2004 at 19:00 in front of the Main Building on the UFS campus. Twelve honorary doctorate degrees will be awarded to a diverse group of outstanding South Africans and international scholars. The Rector requests the attendance of all staff and students in large numbers during this prestige event.

The following candidates will receive an honorary doctorate degree: Me Antjie Krog, Prof Jakes Gerwel, Mr Karel Schoeman, Dr Frederick van Zyl Slabbert, Prof Saleem Badat, Dr Khotso Mokhele, Prof Robert Bringle, Prof Leo Quayle, Prof Jack de Wet, Prof Kerneels Nel (posthumous), Prof Boelie Wessels en Prof Jaap Steyn .

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept