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14 December 2021 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied
Maureen Khati, Deputy Director: Facilities Planning in University Estates, is getting her MSc in Construction Management at the UFS December graduation ceremonies.
Among the hundreds of graduands receiving qualifications during the December 2021 graduation ceremonies is University of the Free State (UFS) staff member Maureen Khati. Khati, who oversees numerous infrastructural projects at the institution, has been instrumental in the changing landscape of UFS campuses.   

Khati, Deputy Director: Facilities Planning in University Estates, will graduate with an MSc in Construction Management with her thesis, titled An Assessment of Occupational Health and Safety compliance challenges in the Southern African construction building industry.

Describing her academic journey, where she studied but not completed an LLB degree at the former University of Durban-Westville, completed a Journalism degree at the Tshwane University of Technology, and a Project Management course at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Khati says: “It has been difficult, and in construction I now find myself exposed to high-pressure, time-bound type of work. As a single parent, I have been juggling research and the time required for more and more reading.”

About pursuing her master’s degree, Khati says: “The desire has always been there, I just did not have time. Life experiences also caught up with me, but I never stopped studying. If not studying for a degree in my free time, I would be doing short courses.”

Khati says her career has taken a turn and she ‘accidentally’ found herself in construction.

This happened after she found herself being drafted into CUT’s planning committee tasked with ensuring that the institution’s soccer fields met FIFA’s required standard and could be used for training during the prestigious 2010 FIFA World Cup. 

Following the World Cup and the success of the committee, Khati was given more construction responsibilities, as the Department of Higher Education and Training was still working on projects on the CUT campus. 

 “Construction became my life, and as they say – the rest is history.”

In 2012, Khati joined the University of the Free State as Project Manager in University Estates. She believes her journey with the institution has been “interesting and exposed to opportunities”.

Recently, Khati was appointed as President Elect 2021 of the Higher Education Facilities Management Association. HEFMA is a non-profit association representing the interests of the facilities management departments of 27 universities in and outside South Africa.  

Where did it all start?

Born in Windhoek, Namibia, Khati attended high school at Mariasdal Secondary School, a Catholic boarding school just over 100 km from Bloemfontein.

About high school life, she says: “I have always been a reserved person. I spent most of my time playing sports and attending social events. This is because the environment at school was strict, but also fun. The school has always strived for a 100% pass rate.”

After matric, Khati completed a Journalism degree at Tshwane University of Technology. 

What kept Khati going was her daughter Bokamoso, because all she does is “for her well-being and to challenge myself to grow”.

For the completion of  her master’s degree, Khati thanks her supervisor, Prof Kahilu Kajimo-Shakantu, Head of the Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management, for the “patience and support she gave me throughout my studies, as well as for sharing her expertise during my studies”.

News Archive

UFS changes format of graduation ceremony
2011-04-17

 

The highest number of qualifications in the history of the University of the Free State (UFS) will be awarded at the autumn diploma and graduation ceremony from 9-11 May 2011, which will be held in the Callie Human Centre on our Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

From this year, the format of the ceremony will change to make it more visible to students and the public. For the first time, all the doctoral and master’s degrees from each respective faculty will be conferred during one ceremony on 11 May 2011, instead of each faculty handling these qualifications individually. Another change in the format is that the procession will gather on the Red Square in front of the Main Building and move to the Callie Human Centre from there. Both academic staff and graduands will partake in the procession.

A total of 3 674 qualifications will be conferred during this year’s graduation ceremony, including 629 diplomas, 2 613 Bachelors and honours degrees, 372 master’s degrees and 58 doctorates.

An honorary doctorate in Drama and Theatre Arts will also be awarded to theatre stalwart Mr Pieter Fourie. He is one of the most acclaimed Afrikaans playwrights in South Africa and probably the only person to have left his mark as an actor, director, artistic director and writer.

Mr Fourie was awarded the Gerhard Beukes prize for drama , was honoured for his contribution to the arts by the South African Academy for Science and Arts and was appointed as trustee of the Arts and Culture Trust of the State President in 1997. He has also served as a committee member of the South African Academy for Science and Arts.

Mr. Fourie has also been the proud recipient of the Hertzog prize for drama, two FNB-Vita awards and a Fleur Du Cap award.
 

The full programme for the respective ceremonies is as follows:

  • Monday, 9 May 2011:

At 08:30, certificates and diplomas, excluding PGED and PGES, will be awarded to graduates from the Faculty of Education and at 12:00 PGED, PGED and B and honours degrees will be awarded to students from the same faculty. At 15:30 on the same day, certificates and B and honours degrees will be awarded to students in the Faculty of the Humanities.

At 19:00, the Faculties of Education, the Humanities and Economic and Management Sciences will have their prize-giving ceremonies for outstanding achievers.

  • Tuesday, 10 May 2011:

At 08:30, students in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences will graduate and at and 12:00 the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science will join them. This includes students in BML, B.Admin., B.Pub. and related honours degrees. At 15:30, 503 students from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences will receive their certificates, diplomas and B and honours degrees.

At 19:00, the Faculties of Health Sciences, Natural and Agriculture Sciences, Law and Theology will have their prize-giving ceremonies.

  • Wednesday, 11 May 2011:

The Faculty of Health Sciences, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Theology will be awarding their certificates, diplomas and B and honours degrees at 08:30. At 12:00, all faculties will award a total of 372 master’s degrees and at 15:30 a total of 58 doctorates will be conferred.

The Chancellor’s Dinner will take place in the Centenary Complex on the Main Campus of the UFS at 19:00.

The graduation ceremony of our Qwaqwa Campus will take place in the Rolihlahla Mandela Hall on the Qwaqwa Campus on 7 May 2011 at 10:00. All the faculties at this campus will confer their degrees, certificates and diplomas at this ceremony.
 


Media Release
21 April 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

 

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