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ARU strengthens ties with Japanese universities

12 March 2020 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Thabo Kessah

Japan UFS Afromontane Research Unit research collaboration — Dr Melissa Hansen (left) with ARU guest researchers. They are, from the left: Gema Carlota Cubelos Perez, Emilie Jones, Ven Paolo Valenzuela, Kanako Matsuyama (International Christian University), and Dr Kudo Shogo.

Research ties between the University of the Free State, the University of Tokyo, and the International Christian University strengthened when the Japanese scholars visited the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) on the Qwaqwa Campus.

“The visiting delegation is part of the larger research group on sustainability studies that has been sharing research expertise with the Afromontane Research Unit’s researchers over the past three years,” said Dr Kudo Shogo, Assistant Professor from the University of Tokyo’s Graduate Programme in Sustainability Science – Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI).

Entrepreneurship in Qwaqwa
“Our focus this time is on entrepreneurs who have had exposure to megacities such as Johannesburg and Cape Town, and who are finding themselves back in places like Qwaqwa. We have discovered that they actually find Qwaqwa more resourceful than when they left. Two to three years of unstable living in the cities gave them a fresh view to see the many opportunities in Qwaqwa and they then start their businesses. Talking to the Qwaqwa entrepreneurs has been a great learning experience for all of us,” he added.

The visiting scholars conducted interviews with 10 local entrepreneurs to get a sense of how they use entrepreneurship for sustainability purposes.

“We are pleased by the local people’s understanding that local problems require local solutions. I would really like to contribute to these people’s understanding of how these solutions fit the problems better than solutions that come from outside. We have quite a number of voices talking about empowering Qwaqwa, with the emphasis on creating jobs for Qwaqwa, solving the problems that Qwaqwa is facing. I have found education to be a unifying factor through tutoring, after-school classes, mentorship, and the personal imperative of sharing,” said Emilie Jones, originally from the United States of America and now studying for a master’s degree in Sustainability Science focusing on water supply and resources.

Education and arts empower communities
“Most of the entrepreneurs we spoke to have experience of the big cities. For them, Qwaqwa is very close to the heart and is home. There are challenges, but they are doing their best to empower their community with ideas and skills from the big cities. They provide services such as education and arts to empower the community to come up with a local identity,” said a PhD candidate, Ven Paolo Valenzuela from the Philippines.

“I was impressed with the people who realise the opportunities to identify problems and even come up with solutions themselves. A lot of communities can learn from this,” said Gema Carlota Cubelos Perez, a PhD candidate originally from Spain.

Their host, Dr Melissa Hansen, Lecturer from the Department of Geography, said the visit was part of the bigger study on migration and sustainable development. “This was a Global Field Exercise (GFE) for teaching research methods in the field. We found that Qwaqwa is overflowing with potential for entrepreneurship in a wide variety of fields and that there is a strong, vibrant network of young individuals brimming with talent. We are learning from each other, as Akita City in Japan and Qwaqwa are similar in more ways than one,” she said.

One of the entrepreneurs, Refiloe Seekane, is a self-taught fashion designer, choreographer, and event coordinator. “The interview has actually made me realise the gaps we have for business opportunities in Qwaqwa and the importance of implementing some of the projects I have been planning for years,” said Seekane, a second-year Education student and CEO of Evomind.

News Archive

Student leaders 2012/13 announced

2012-08-30

Ready for the task - Sabelo Khumalo, SRC President of the Qwaqwa Campus and William Clayton, SRC President of the Bloemfontein Campus.
Photo: Johan Roux
31 August 2012

The 2012/13 elections for the Student Representative Councils (SRC) of the University of the Free State were completed successfully and show meaningful support for the changes in student governance adopted by students across campuses over the past two years.

The SRC elections at the Qwaqwa Campus were completed on 23 August 2012, while the elections at our Bloemfontein Campus took place on 27 and 28 August 2012.

The SRC Elections at our Bloemfontein Campus showed a voter turnout of 4516 votes (30.8%), with the elections at the Qwaqwa Campuses showing 1753 votes (46%) – both campuses reached the required quorums and the IEA (Bloemfontein Campus) and IEC (Qwaqwa Campus) declared the elections free and fair and announced the results as a true reflection of the will of the student bodies at the campuses.

The full SRC at Bloemfontein Campus now consists of 62% black and 38% white, and 53% female and 47% male members.

In the Qwaqwa elections, SADESMO achieved 46, 38% of the vote, with SASCO, PASMA and NASMO each achieving 30,23% and 8,39% and 14,26%, respectively.

The successful elections at Bloemfontein Campus show that the detailed transformation of student governance introduced by students at the Campus in 2010 and adopted by the university in 2011, succeeded in mobilizing greater participation of students in governance and representation. These changes in the main included a shift to independent candidacy for elective portfolios (12 seats) and organizational candidacy in nine sub-councils that holds ex officio seats on the SRC. Changes also included the establishment of student representative seats in faculty governance and management forums and the adoption of a reviewed Central SRC Constitution. Ex officio seats hold full and equal constitutional authority in the SRC.

Students at Qwaqwa Campus introduced additional portfolios to its SRC, including ex-officio seats for academic affairs, arts and culture, commuter students, Rag Community Service, religious affairs, residences and sports.

A joint sitting of the Campus SRCs will establish the Central SRC 2012/13 on 9 September 2012.

As a further opportunity for participation in and the development of student governance and representation, the current Central SRC herewith also announces its recent adoption of a student governance advisory programme, namely the UFS Student Elders Council (SEC).

The SEC is established as a combined programme between the Central SRC and the Dean of Student Affairs and will consist of selected senior student leaders from all campuses who completed their terms of office, apply and are appointed to the Elders Council by the Central SRC.

The Council will serve as an advisory structure to the Central SRC and other student structures in support of the continuous development of student governance and representation of the student body at the university.

The SEC will advise the Central SRC to be constituted following the constitution of the respective Campus SRCs.

The SRC members at the Bloemfontein Campus are:

President: Mr William Clayton

Vice-President: Mr Bonolo Thebe

Secretary: Ms Karis-Robin Topkin

Treasurer: Mr Pieter Coetzee

Arts & Culture: Ms Chanmari Erasmus

Accessibility & Student Support: Ms Gene McCaskill

First-generation Students: Ms Tanya Calitz

Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Ms Nokuthula Sithole

Media, Marketing & Liaison: Ms Neo Chere

Sport: Mr Tshepo Moloi

Student Development & Environmental Affairs: Ms Thabisile Mgadi

Transformation: Ms Koketso Mofokeng

Dialogue & Ex officio: Associations Council: Mr Anesu Ruswa

Academic Affairs & Ex officio: Academic Affairs Council: Ms Nombuso Ndlovu

Residence Affairs & Ex officio: Residences Council: Mr Johann Steyn

City Residence Affairs & Ex officio: Commuter Council: Mr Michael van Niekerk

Postgraduate Affairs & Ex officio: Postgraduate Council: Mr Fadeyi Akinsuyi

International Affairs & Ex officio: International Council: Ms Tumelo Moreri

Student Media Affairs & Ex officio: Media Council: Mr Jamal-Dean Grootboom

RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Fundraising Council: Mr Jaco Faul

RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Community Service Council: Ms Keneue Mahloana

The SRC members at the Qwaqwa Campus are:

President General: Mr S Khumalo

Deputy President: Mr P T Lenka

Secretary General: Mr D Khethang

Treasurer General: Mr S I Sithole

Media & Publicity: Mr S N Ntombela

Politics & Transformation: Tbc

Student Development & Evironmental Affairs: Tbc Academic Affairs: Mr T Molawude

Arts & Cultural Affairs: Mr T Nkohli

Off-Campus Students: Mr B Mtshali

RAG, Community Service & Dialogue: Ms S F Mlotya

Religious Affairs: Ms D C Khau

Residence & Catering Affairs: Ms Z Mzolo

Sports Council: Mr S Mngomezulu

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