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The second annual International Scholarship and Mobility Fair offered both UFS staff and students the opportunity to ask questions and get answers right away, with links to detailed information.

The Office for International Affairs hosted its annual International Scholarship and Mobility Fair on 3 and 4 November 2020. This is the second annual mobility fair and the first time that it was hosted in virtual format on Blackboard Collaborative. The event showcased study-abroad opportunities for all registered students and staff. 

Staff too can enrol for studies abroad

In the mobility and exchange programme session, the UFS international partner universities presented study, teaching, and training opportunities available to students and staff on their campuses. Staff have also learnt that they can enrol for exchange programmes at any of more than 60 international universities to teach, conduct research, or collaborate to enhance their professional development.

Another session promoted scholarship opportunities for postgraduate students who would like to study abroad full- or part-time. The last session promoted research-related study opportunities such as PhD, fellowships, and academically associated opportunities. Postgraduate students have learnt about joint degrees at master’s and doctoral level, which allows them to register at the UFS and another university abroad.

Student support through scholarships 

The sessions aimed to attract and also support talented students with a scholarship – despite the current pandemic.


Participants liked that it was easily accessible and that they could ask questions and get answers right away, with links to detailed information. 

To view these sessions, please visit the UFS international webpage on the following link:

News Archive

UFS Sign Language expert appointed to a national government committee
2010-05-13

Photo: Mangaliso Radebe


The National Department of Basic Education has appointed the Head of the Department of Afro-Asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice at the University of the Free State (UFS), Mr Philemon Akach, to serve in its Curriculum Management Team.

“It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been appointed as a member of the Curriculum Management Team to manage the development of Sign Language as a subject to be listed in the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12,” the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, wrote in her letter to Mr Akach.

“I am excited, after mulling over this, saying that maybe this time around it may just work because, from experience, I can sensitise the other committee members on how to build in an implementation strategy right from the beginning,” said Mr Akach.

“Over the last 12 years we have implemented the proposed part of the curriculum for tertiary institutions at this university, so our input will be a practical one. We have not only theoretically proven it can be done but have developed multimedia teaching materials as a legacy to sustain the course as a permanent feature at this level. I will share this with the management to implement what is already working.”

He was a Director of Sign Language and Interpreting Development with the Deaf Federation of South Africa for three years (1996-1998). During that time he directed the development of the South African Sign Language (SASL) curriculum as a school subject from Grades 0-12, as well as SASL as a second language, and a proposal to tertiary institutions on what they should take note of, should they considered introducing SASL as an academic course. All of these were handed over to the Department of Education in 1997.

“Committees are a good tool to write proposals but if there is no policing of the implementation, not much seems to work,” he said.

Media Release:
Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
12 May 2010
 

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