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31 July 2020
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As a public higher-education institution in South Africa with a responsibility to contribute to public discourse, the University of the Free State (UFS) will be presenting the 3rd UFS Thought-Leader Series in collaboration with Vrye Weekblad as part of the Vrystaat Literature Festival’s online initiative, VrySpraak-digitaal.
This year, higher-education institutions
globally are placed in the challenging context of COVID-19. Aware and grounded in the reality that the world will not return to the normality of pre-COVID-19, our responsibility as scholars still remains to contribute to public discourse and to offer
innovative solutions that will impact the lives of people nationally and globally in order to help them understand and adapt to a new world order.
Against this background and context, this year’s debates focus on ‘Post-COVID-19, Post-Crisis’,
with Health and Modelling, Politics, Economy, and Predictions for 2021 as the sub-themes. Placed in a COVID-19 context, and in lieu of the Vrystaat Arts Festival,
the series will be presented virtually in the form of one webinar per month during the period August 2020 to November 2020.
Date: 13 August 2020
Topic: Health
and Modelling
Time: 11:30-13:00
RSVP: Alicia Pienaar, pienaaran1@ufs.ac.za
Facilitator:
Max du Preez
Editor: Vrye Weekblad
Biography
Introduction and welcome:
Prof Francis Petersen
Rector and Vice-Chancellor, UFS
Panellists:
Prof Salim Abdool Karim
Director: Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)
Chair: South African Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19
Biography
Prof Glenda Gray
President and CEO: South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)
Biography
Prof Felicity Burt
NRF-DST South African Research Chair in vector-borne and zoonotic pathogens research
Biography
Prospective Kovsies advised to respect themselves
2015-05-22

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Thousands of prospective Kovsies had a brief but unforgettable experience of being a Kovsie when they descended on the Qwaqwa Campus for the Open Day on 16 May 2015.
They came from all over the Thabo Mofutsanyana District, and from as far as Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal.
“You are special,” was the message from Dr Choice Makhetha, Vice-Rector: External Relations.
“Each one of you is very special, and don’t allow anyone to tell you otherwise,” said Dr Makhetha.
“Each one has a brilliant mind and you can achieve anything you set your mind to. This can only happen if your thoughts and whatever you say to yourself are positive all time.”
The learners were also reminded to take themselves seriously, and to always respect themselves.
“It is important that you must have respect for yourself, for others, and for the environment. When you respect yourself, you respect time. You must make it your business to know and read extensively,” she said.
After the formal programme, learners were exposed to different study programmes and student services by visiting various faculties and departments.
The programme included messages of support from the Campus Management and the SRC. Entertainment was provided by a South African hip-hop group, Skwatta Kamp, a student ensemble called Unspoken, and a breathtaking laser show.