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2021 Mandela Day Fitness Challenge

19 July 2021

The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences invites all its academic departments to participate in the 2021 celebration of Nelson Mandela Day by requesting their staff and students to become involved in a 67-minute fitness challenge to be held over a seven-day period, commencing on 18 July 2021. These kilometres can be completed by running, walking, swimming or on a bicycle (no vehicles permitted).

These activities may be completed at any location, at any time from 18 to 25 July 2021 (terminating at midnight on 25 July). This ensures that social distancing protocols are adhered to, since each individual is completing the challenge on their own.

Participants will be required to provide relevant proof of the distance completed, as well as the date and time interval, by either submitting a picture of the treadmill screen, sharing the progress they logged by using a mobile app such as Strata, pictures of the number of steps completed, etc. (Send this via email to Reabetswe Parkies at Parkiesrg@ufs.ac.za upon completion – at the latest by 08:00 on 26 July 2021.)

Raising funds

To raise funds, each department in the faculty is requested to consider sponsoring a specific amount per kilometre completed by their staff and students. It is recommended that each department consider its available budget for this purpose and that the total departmental contribution should be capped at a specific amount to ensure that departments are not faced with open-ended liabilities. We have sought and obtained approval from the Department of Finance for the use of UFS funds in this manner. To this end, for example, the School of Accountancy has pledged to contribute R10 per kilometre completed, capped at a maximum contribution of R6 700.

To encourage healthy competition and to increase the amount raised, departments will be encouraged to compete against each other and attempt to complete the most kilometres. Each department will donate their pledges to the charity of their choice. In support of this noble cause, the Dean’s office has pledged a donation of R6 700 to the winning academic department, to be added to the department’s donation to the charity.

We believe this is a very good marketing initiative, as well as an opportunity for the faculty to illustrate its commitment to social investment and community engagement. It is also likely to contribute to improving the morale of the staff in the faculty. The UFS Community Engagement office has further indicated that it would like to arrange a radio interview to promote this event – to this end, we can raise awareness and place the spotlight on a worthy cause.

Read More: EMS Mandela Day Fitness Challenge 2021

News Archive

UFS hosts first International Congress on Calvin Research in Africa

2010-08-31

Present at the Calvin Research Conference were, from the left: Dr Frank Ewerszumrode (OP), Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Mainz in Mainz, Germany; Prof. Dr Herman Selderhuis, President of the International Congress on Calvin Research; Prof. Dolf Britz, Director of the Jonathan Edwards Centre Africa at the UFS; and Ntabanyane Tseuoa, Masters student in the Jonathan Edwards Centre at the UFS.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

The first International Congress on Calvin Research in Africa was this week presented on the Main Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein. This was the tenth Calvin Research Conference presented. The conference is presented every four years.

The theme of the congress was: Reconciliation in the Theology of Calvin. Presentations were made about, amongst others, Calvin’s viewpoint regarding slavery and social justice. There was also a discussion about the extraordinary interest to record the original Calvin texts in databases and to make it available to researchers worldwide.

According to Prof. Dolf Britz, Director of the Jonathan Edwards Centre at the UFS, the objective of the congress was to study original Calvin sources critically. “An important part of the congress’ work is to publish an important part of Calvin’s work in a comprehensive text critical edition. This process is already well advanced and includes a number of unknown texts,” said Prof. Britz.

With its research on Calvin, the UFS emphasises the study of original theological sources. “This approach makes the Faculty of Theology part of the UFS’s strategy towards internationalisation. This is also one of the reasons why the UFS was selected by Yale University in America as partner in the recent establishment of the Jonathan Edwards Centre Africa,” said Prof. Britz, whose brainchild it was to also include young upcoming researchers with the study of original sources and classical languages such as Latin.

The congress was attended by researchers and academics from across the world. Twenty young, emerging researchers formed part of this group that was invited by the UFS. According to Prof. Britz, these young researchers are the top achievers at their respective universities, such as the North-West University, Stellenbosch University, Mukanyo Theological College in the Pretoria area and the UFS.

At this event, attended by more than 70 world-renowned Calvin scholars from countries like, amongst others, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Finland, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands, America, Germany and Hungary; UFS academics like Prof. Eric de Boer, Extraordinary Professor in Classical and Reformed Theology and students like Rev. Ntabanyane Tseuoa from Lesotho, read and presented papers as well.

According to Prof. Britz this congress was a very good opportunity to introduce the UFS to the rest of the world.

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

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