Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
22 July 2021 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Roger Sedres
Can Wayde van Niekerk repeat his amazing feat from the 2016 Olympics – now five years later – at the next Games?
It is a year later, but the Tokyo 2020 Olympics finally started on Friday, 23 July 2021. In team South Africa, a couple of the athletes and management, many of them medal contenders, call themselves Kovsies.

From 1 August, the progress of the country’s golden boy, Wayde van Niekerk, will be closely followed when he tries to hold on to the title as Olympic 400 m champion – he is still the world record holder (set at the 2016 Games). The final of the 400 m is scheduled for 5 August.

One of only five female athletes in the South African team, Gerda Steyn will compete in the marathon on 7 August. This is her first time at the Olympics. 

She is in red-hot form. In April, she broke a 25-year record in Italy when she ran the fastest-ever marathon by a South African woman, finishing in 2:25:28. She is the defending Comrades and Two Oceans champ.

Protea hockey player, Nicole Erasmus, will become a fourth-generation Olympic contender in her family. Her mother, Lynne Walraven (née Tasker) was a Zimbabwean swimmer, her great-uncle, Anthony Tasker, was a member of the South African rowing team, and her great-great-uncle, Frank Rushton, was a South African hurdles athlete. 

From 26 to 28 July, the South African sevens rugby team, with former Shimlas Chris Dry as a team member and Neil Powell as head coach, will aim to improve on their bronze medal achieved in 2016. Powell was also the head coach at the time, and another former Kovsie, Philip Snyman, captained the Blitzboks.

Kate Murray (formerly Roberts), head coach and high-performance manager of Triathlon South Africa, will act as the SA triathlon coach. She is a double Olympic participant, having raced for South Africa at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

 


News Archive

UFS launches unique project to honour great teachers
2011-04-21

Dedicated, hard-working, inspiring and motivational ...

These are the kind of teachers the University of the Free State (UFS) is looking to honour in their Great Teachers Project.
 
When one is confronted by most images of teachers in the mainstream media, these are rarely the words that come to mind, though. However, for many young men and women these are exactly the traits which they saw in their teachers, and which inspired them to become South Africa’s next generation of poets, painters, architects, mathematicians, drummers, pilots, lawyers, philosophers, doctors, accountants, community developers and more.
 
One rarely hears about the truly great teachers from our past and present who are the driving force behind the successes of many of our greatest achievers. The teachers who go the extra mile to convey the intricate beauties within their subjects, lead an exemplary life and produced the activists, critical thinkers and leaders we all cherish.
 
Therefore, the UFS and the Sunday Times have joined hands in identifying 150 of the greatest teachers, who moved, inspired and transformed South Africans during their time at school. These are the teachers who stood out among their colleagues and made a lasting impact on their learners, inspiring them to excel, long after the mathematical equations and English literature tests are forgotten.
 
The stories will be collected and assembled on a central database and categorised, edited and represented into a coherent array of powerful accounts of inspired and inspiring teachers.
 
A book entitled Great Teachers will be published in December 2011, detailing the stories of these great individuals. The introduction to the book will present the plan and process that led the storied collection.
Those who are interested are invited to submit a 500 to 750 word essay on any teacher who made an impact in their life and submit it to greatteachers@ufs.ac.za before 30 May 2011.
 
All proceeds from the sales of the book will be used to provide bursaries to student teachers of today, who may become the great teachers for tomorrow’s generation.


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

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