Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
27 August 2021 | Story Dr Cindé Greyling | Photo Sonia Small (Kaleidoscope Studios)
Transforming the South Campus to a digitised university, Dr Maria Madiope is a resilient and strong guardian of the future generations.
Dr Maria ‘Marinkie’ Madiope, who grew up in Garankuwa Pretoria, is not your average professional woman. Her academic record speaks of vigilant style and resilient independence. Dr Madiope is currently the South Campus Principal at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein.

What is the best thing about your job?
It has given me the opportunity to transform the South Campus to a digitised university. I cannot express the feeling I have when welcoming students to the UFS and then presenting qualifications to them, especially to students who have gone through very traumatic home, personal, or academic times. 

What is the best and worst decisions you have ever made?
The best decision I have ever made was embracing education and making sure that I am not only certificated but learn to empower others in a very humble way. I don't want to think about my worst decisions. There's too much regret in everyone's lives to maintain our wavering joy.

What does the word woman mean to you?
It describes a proud warrior. A resilient and strong guardian of the future generations. The archetypal matriarch who is fearless and also tender, powerful but not afraid to demonstrate weakness, and self-sufficient yet dutiful. She is everything and anything, because she knows that she in control of whoever she wants to be. Her entire being is guided by this knowledge and self-love.

Which woman inspires you, and why?
My mom inspires me. She always had a smile on her face no matter how hard she worked, and she loved everyone. Her greatest strength is her ability to let nothing, and no one, remove her crown. “Strong winds may blow, but a QUEEN will bobby pin that thang in place and persevere because she is more than a conqueror.” I am also inspired by Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise about the struggle to overcome prejudice and injustice. It is one of Maya Angelou's most popular poems. When read by victims of wrongdoing, the poem becomes a kind of anthem, a beacon of hope for the oppressed and downtrodden.

News Archive

Co-architect of peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland to present Annual Reconciliation Lecture today
2015-03-03

Colm McGivern, Director of the British Council in South Africa

To emphasise the University of the Free State’s Human Project, the UFS has positioned itself as an institution that is recognised across the world not only for excellence in academic achievement, but also in human reconciliation. The Annual Reconciliation Lecture, whose organising committee is chaired by Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, is a unique and major initiative to enhance this important vision of our university.

This year, Colm McGivern, Director of the British Council in South Africa, will present the Fourth Annual Reconciliation Lecture at the Centenary Hall on Thursday 5 March 2015.

Colm McGivern was brought up in Northern Ireland at the height of the conflict that has come to be known as the ‘Troubles.’ His early experiences of conflict, sectarianism, and living in a divided society have driven his career, and his personal commitment to peace-building and promoting reconciliation.  He was a student leader at Queen’s University in Belfast during the time of the first IRA Ceasefires in the 1990s, and then worked in the Higher and Further Education sectors, and at a community level with peace-building groups across Northern Ireland and internationally. He was Director of the British Council in Northern Ireland for four years and, in that role, facilitated discussions between divided communities before and during the Ceasefires and Peace Process, with a particular focus on bringing young people together across Ireland.

In his role as Director of the British Council, McGivern has created thousands of cultural and educational connections between the UK and SA. Every year, he ensures that young South Africans can get access to educational and cultural opportunities that are life-changing while deepening their connection with the UK.

A highlight of this year’s lecture will be a performance by musicians from the Odeion School of Music, Tumi Ntantiso (soprano), Bertha Menyatso (mezzo-soprano), Malefetsane Mofokeng (baritone), and Cezarre Strydom (piano). They will be performing works from ‘Tales of Hoffmann’ by Jacques Offenbach, among others.

Members of the public and media are welcome.

RSVP: Jo-Anne Naidoo, e-mail: Naidooja@ufs.ac.za

Date: Thursday 5 March 2015
Time: 17:30 (please be seated by 17:15)
Venue: Centenary Complex, Bloemfontein Campus

 

The event will be streamed live on: http://livestream.ufs.ac.za/

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

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