Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
23 September 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Participants in the third Amazing Race travelled through the African continent, experiencing Africa’s roots and its rich, vibrant, and diverse cultures

During the third Amazing Race presented by Organisational Development and Employee Wellness, staff had the opportunity to virtually travel through Africa. 

The aim of the race with the theme, A Journey through Africa, was to celebrate South Africa and Africa’s roots and its rich, vibrant, and diverse cultures. 

Natasha Nel, organisational development specialist and organiser of the race, says they wanted to give the 13 participating teams the opportunity to explore, learn, create, and be challenged together as they travel to some of the most interesting and exotic locations around Africa, but also in South Africa. 

Here in our own country, teams had the opportunity to experience our culture as well as the diversity of beliefs and traditions.


Here in our own country, teams had the opportunity to experience our culture as well as the diversity of beliefs and traditions.

Interactive and exciting event

Nel says staff could join the race in the convenience of their personal working space via a Zoom meeting. “They only needed to download the game that was specifically tailored for the UFS.” 

“It was a fun, interactive, and exciting event. In this unique adventure, it was interesting to see how teams worked together, made decisions, and also thought outside the box during the challenges,” she says.

Nel explains that teams were requested to take photos, answer questions, and make decisions unique to Africa and their culture. Some decisions and answers were timed. They also had to decide where they wanted to travel, but each decision and option had its costs, reward, and challenge linked to it.

We are the champions

Chanel Lewis, Aneke Kruger, Runé van der Merwe, and Lischen du Randt walked away as winners of the third Amazing Race. 

By participating in this race, the university has sponsored 13 breakfasts for the Community Chest of South Africa (this organisation’s mission is to inspire and facilitate community giving for community enhancement).


News Archive

Valuable opportunity for future educators
2012-02-13

 
The UFS will award bursaries to about 670 students this year. These bursaries, to the value of over R42 million rand, will give these students the opportunity to follow their dream of becoming educators in South Africa. At the selection process were, from the left: Prof. Gawie du Toit, Programme Director: Initial Teacher Education at the UFS, Dr. Rantsie Kgothule, Teaching Practice Coordinator at the UFS Qwaqwa Campus; Ms Fiona Padayachee, Deputy Director: Recruitment and Selection in the Free State Department of Education; and Mr Kennedy Vilankulu, Information Manager at the Fundza Lushaka bursary scheme.

 

This year, 675 students from the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Education will be awarded bursaries worth more than R42 million from the Fundza Lushaka bursary scheme.

The selection process for the recipients is already underway. Although each student’s academic performance plays a vital role in the selection process, beneficiaries are also selected based on performance in scarce subjects like mathematics, science and African languages.
 
 “We are trying to attract and train as many teachers as possible. Hoping they will honour their contract and teach in South Africa” said Mr Kennedy Vilankulu, Information Manager at the Fundza Lushaka Bursary Scheme.
 
Mr Vilankulu commended the faculty on its management of the bursary scheme. This is evident in the close liaison between the faculty, on both the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa campuses, and the Free State Department of Education. Just over 90% of the beneficiaries of the bursary scheme study at the UFS.
 
Prof. Gawie du Toit, Programme Director: Initial Teacher Education (ITE) says the quality of a school can never exceed the quality of its teachers. It is the faculty’s aim to educate caring, accountable and critically reflective education practitioners. These teachers must be able to act as agents of change in diverse educational contexts. Prof. Du Toit said it was a privilege to collaborate with both national and provincial Departments of Education in this venture.

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