Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS Virtual Graduation: Honouring the class of 2020

18 February 2021 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa

The University of the Free State (UFS) invites you to the 2021 Virtual Graduation, where students who completed their qualifications in June/July of 2020 will receive their qualifications during the ceremonies taking place from 22 to 24 February 2021.

Bachelor degrees (435), higher certificates (86), advanced certificates (230), postgraduate certificates (4), national professional diplomas (203), advanced diplomas (13), postgraduate diplomas (158), bachelors honours degrees (22), master’s (201), and doctoral qualifications (70) will be awarded to students across the UFS Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses.

Graduates in the faculties of Economic and Management Sciences, Education, Health Sciences, the Humanities, Law, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and Theology and Religion will be honoured during the upcoming ceremonies for their academic excellence.

Graduation is the highlight on the university calendar, and even though this prestigious occasion will not be taking place traditionally, the UFS would still like to acknowledge and commemorate our graduates’ prestigious accomplishments.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense disruption in many aspects of our lives. Higher education institutions throughout the world were not exempt from the effects of the deadly virus. This has subsequently impacted the presentation of graduation ceremonies throughout the sector.

The UFS looks forward to virtually celebrating the milestones of all graduates at the virtual graduation ceremonies, and thus implores all graduates to join us in doing so.

See information further below for details on how to join in on the celebrations.

The university hopes to celebrate many more graduations in future, but for now, the health and safety of our community is our primary concern.

#UFSGraduation2021 | #UFSVirtualGraduation

News Archive

UFS’s Unit for Children’s Rights instrumental in helping human trafficked victim

2010-03-29

Adv. Beatri Kruger.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

“Wheeling and dealing is part of our daily life. But what if the ‘product’ bought or sold is not a spanner or a cell phone, but a living human being? Disturbing news came to the fore... apart from other places in the country, and for that matter all over the world, it was discovered that people are treated like commodities here in Bloemfontein as well,” said Adv. Beatri Kruger from the Unit for Children’s Rights at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Adv. Kruger was instrumental in completing and availing the first comprehensive Research Report on Human Trafficking in South Africa to the public on 23 March 2010. As a member of the Reference Group advising on interim research reports on human trafficking, she contributed to the report. The report proves to be an extremely valuable tool for, among others, government departments and non-governmental organisations that use it as a guideline in planning interventions to combat human trafficking.

The Unit for Children’s Rights is also one of the founding members of the Free State Human Trafficking Forum (FHF). To react on and fight the disturbing reality of human trafficking more efficiently, a number of concerned role players such as Child Welfare and other non-governmental organisations, police officials, prosecutors, social workers, health practitioners, private businesses, churches and community organisations joined forces and formed the FHF. The Unit for Children’s Rights hosts monthly meetings at the UFS to facilitate the coordination of this multi-disciplinary counter-trafficking team.

Adv. Kruger is very excited about some of the successes of the FHF; such as the story of Soma (not her real name). This Indian woman was recruited in India by an Indian couple who are staying in South Africa, by promising her a good job in South Africa. However, instead of finding the promised job, Soma was extensively exploited for labour purposes. With the help of a “good Samaritan” she managed to escape from the perpetrators and fled to the police. Soma was removed to ensure her safety and accommodated in a safe place in Bloemfontein. Counselling and other services were rendered to her by an organisation which is also a member of the FHF. One of the challenges facing Soma and the service providers was that Soma speaks a foreign dialect and for weeks a trusted interpreter could not be found.

This obstacle rendered communication with her to the bare minimum. The perpetrators were arrested but unfortunately the new comprehensive counter-trafficking law is not in force yet. Therefore the perpetrators could only be convicted of some offences in the Immigration Act. However, due to good police investigation followed by shrewd consultations, the perpetrators agreed to pay for the victim’s return flight to India as well as for the flight ticket of the investigating officer to escort her to safety. The Unit for Children’s Rights did networking with Ms Maria Nikolovska of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), who agreed to assist in the safe reintegration of Soma in India. Soma is now on her way back home.

Back

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