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UFS awards joint degrees, giving graduates a competitive edge

10 December 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Two students, Jenny Josefsson and Janie Swanepoel in the Faculty of the Humanities at the University of the Free State (UFS), graduated with joint degrees during the December graduation ceremonies.

Josefsson received her degree from both the UFS and Radboud University in Nijmegen in the Netherlands, and Swanepoel was awarded her degree by the UFS and the University of Cologne, Germany.

According to the Office for International Affairs (OIA) at the UFS – with a joint degree, the candidate receives an academic qualification from more than one institution at the same time.

Zenzele Mdletshe from the OIA explains that a student will register at two different institutions at the same time, with the goal of obtaining one qualification. “Upon completion, the home institution will issue a joint degree certificate while the host institution will issue a degree supplement. For both Josefsson and Swanepoel, the UFS was the home institution.”

The UFS also awarded two joint degrees in 2020.

Social change, inequality, and land issues

Josefsson, who was born in Sweden, matriculated at Ljusdals Gymnasieskola in 1997. She obtained both her Environmental Science and Development Studies degree and her cum laude master’s degree in Environmental Science at Södertörn University. As an exchange student, she spent one semester in 2006 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and two years later started her career as an environmental consultant in Cape Town.

She proceeded to do her PhD, and as part of her academic journey towards completing her doctoral degree, she joined a group of doctoral students from South Africa and the Netherlands, whose research fell under a project titled ‘Farm Dwellers, the Forgotten People? Conversions to Conservation in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape’. The Dutch science-funding organisation, NWO-WOTRO Science for Global Development, funded the research.

Based in the Department of Geography at the UFS, she continued with her research and started fieldwork in KwaZulu-Natal in 2013. During and after her fieldwork, she wrote several articles, which – together with an introductory chapter – formed the body of work submitted for her doctorate.

Josefsson received her Doctor of Philosophy, specialising in Geography. The title of her study is: Battles over boundaries and belonging: violence, wilderness and spatial reconfigurations in the conversion of farm landscapes in KwaZulu-Natal, and highlights the ground-level politics of land issues. Her research is an important contribution to the wider debate around social change, inequality, and land issues in South Africa.

Her thesis was examined by the UFS according to South African examination procedures, and then by a body of examiners appointed by Radboud University. She defended her thesis during a Zoom session with Radboud University in October 2021.

Josefsson, who has worked on various projects in Southern Africa and South Asia, is currently working as a programme coordinator for a climate services project in the SADC region.

Rethinking commercial ranching in rural Southern Africa

Completing school in Bloemfontein, Swanepoel obtained her BA at Stellenbosch University, and her BA Honours in Social Anthropology at the University of Cape Town. In 2013, she received her master’s degree in Social Anthropology at Stellenbosch University.

Seven years later, she successfully submitted her PhD dissertation in Social Anthropology at the UFS. Her PhD forms part of a co-tutelage agreement with the University of Cologne.

Swanepoel, who is working in social compliance, received the Doctor of Philosophy with specialisation in Anthropology. The title of her dissertation is: In the land of the jackals: Postcolonial aridity in Southern Namibia. She investigates multispecies relations in a changing Namibian Boer community.

Her dissertation suggests the need to rethink commercial ranching in rural Southern Africa. “Given the glocal increase in aridity, this research shows the limitations of engaging with the decolonisation of land and the impact of climate change in ways that perpetuate the relation between nature and culture.”

She was invited to rework her dissertation into a book.

Advantages of joint degree

According to Mdletshe, there are several advantages to a joint degree. “The students involved in this programme have a chance of pursuing an international academic programme while enrolled at the UFS.”

He adds: “The students will also have a chance to be mentored and guided by supervisors from different institutions, bringing different perspectives. Such programmes will not only expose students to different lifestyles and cultures – as they will travel to the host institution from time to time – but it will also introduce them to different methods of teaching and learning.

He believes that with the input of international institutions, the joint degree will give students a competitive edge.

“We encourage students and academics who are interested in this programme to contact Kagiso Ngake (ngakekm@ufs.ac.za) or myself (mdletshezp@ufs.ac.za) in the Partnership Office at the Office for International Affairs,” says Mdletshe.

News Archive

RAG resilience shines despite rain

2017-02-07

Winning float for 2017: Armentum, Vergeet-My-Nie,
and Emily
Photo: Lelanie de Wet

Although the 75th RAG festivities were challenged by ominous weather, in true Kovsie spirit students and organisers still made a gleaming success of the day.

Students help to create sunny feeling
On 6 February 2017, the annual float-building activities culminated in the handing over of schoolbags to 150 learners from schools in and around Bloemfontein. This took place at the Rag Farm on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free (UFS), since the morning procession to Twin City Mall in Heidedal had to be cancelled due to bad weather.

“It is of course a huge disappointment to all of us that the events had to be cancelled, but we are grateful for the rain,” said Karen Scheepers, Head of Kovsie Rag Community Service and Assistant Director: Student Affairs.

The evening KFC Rag procession took place as planned, with students having the option of taking part despite the weather. Unfortunately, the Chevrolet Music Festival had to be cancelled.

“The very important actors of today are our students who have worked long hours to build the floats and who have worked together to make this rainy day on the outside feel sunny inside,” said Prof Francis Petersen, incoming UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector, when he addressed the crowd at the Rag Farm. Prof Petersen will take up office on 1 April 2017.

Armentum, Vergeet-My-Nie, and Emily take honours
Armentum, Vergeet-My-Nie, and Emily Hobhouse were the overall winners of the 2017 Rag float-building. “It was worth the hard work. Always remember to ask for advice during float-building,” said Pieter Kotze, RC Rag of Armentum residence on the Bloemfontein Campus. “I also want to thank both the RC Rag from Vergeet-My-Nie and Emily Hobhouse.”

The float theme was Proudly South African, and the winning float encapsulated it with local flavours such as Chappies, a Rooibos tea box and a Lion matchsticks box. They also went the extra mile by incorporating each hostel’s logo within a Chappie design.

The Central Rag Committee would like to thank all their sponsors who made the events possible. The Rag Coronation Ball will take place on 17 February 2017, where the new Rag Queen and Mr Rag will be crowned.

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