Latest News Archive

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

Nthabiseng Kotsokoane to lead activities of international library association

08 June 2021 | Story Legopheng Maphile | Photo Charl Devenish

Nthabiseng Kotsokoane in front of the Sasol Library on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State. She is wearing a pink blouse with floral patterns and leaning with her left elbow against a ledge whilst looking into the camera. — Nthabiseng Kotsokoane is a renowned library professional whose passionate efforts to advance library and information services in Africa and beyond are widely acknowledged Photo: Charl Devenish

The University of the Free State is proud to announce the appointment of Nthabiseng Kotsokoane as chairperson of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) new Regional Council and member of the IFLA Governing Board 2021 – 2023.

IFLA is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession.

Nthabiseng Kotsokoane is currently the Assistant Director at the University of the Free State Library Information Services. She previously worked at Monash University for 10 years as a director of the library services. Ms Kotsokoane is a renowned library professional whose passionate efforts to advance library and information services in Africa and beyond are widely acknowledged. She has vast experience in serving at various committees regionally and internationally. She served as a member of the IFLA women information Libraries Special Interest Group. She was later elected by LIASA into the IFLA IT committee. She is the current IFLA Africa section Chair 2017-2021.

Serving the international library community

Nthabiseng is not only active in IFLA but on the African continent as well, she is the past chair for the African Library & Information Associations & Institutions (AfLIA) academic library section Chair and a member of the AfLIA Governing Board.

As IFLA’s Regional Chair her key role will be to in increase the presence of world regions in IFLA and IFLA’s presence around the world focusing on advocacy and building capacity. She will lead efforts to provide input on IFLA advocacy work and review success in developing the regional dimension of the IFLA Strategy, as well as work to promote IFLA membership and fundraising in the regions.

This will include coordination and development of Regional Division action plans, review Regional Division activities in the following regions Regional Council and Regional Divisions for Asia and Oceania, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa. With her passion of developing and mentoring new library professionals we are certain that this new role will be of benefit to the international library community.

News Archive

Rasool lauds our university

2011-10-24

At the dinner at the residence of the South African Ambassador to the USA, Mr Ebrahim Rasool, were, from the left: Prof. Debra Stewart, President of the Council of Graduate Schools in the USA; South African Ambassador, Mr Rasool; Prof. Jansen; and Prof. Molly Corbett Broad, President of the American Council on Education (ACE).

The Ambassador for South Africa to the United States of America (USA), Mr Ebrahim Rasool, recently hosted Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of our university and a group of representatives from major science councils, foundations and universities at his home in Washington DC. Our university is the first South African university to be hosted at the official home of the Ambassador.

“The University of the Free State has shown South Africa and the world how to work with the past and how to make the past work for them. “You are a thought leader who had the privilege not to be comfortable with your own ideas of history; you understood the need to change and embraced it. You have moved the fastest towards racial and human togetherness of all the South African universities,” Mr Rasool said.

Prof. Jansen responded by saying that Africa needed strong academic universities and that had to be the focus of tertiary institutions across the continent. “We must create opportunities for people to be together and to learn from each other. The UFS is an experiment of human togetherness – and this experiment is taking off,” he said.

During his visit to the USA, Prof. Jansen also discussed research partnerships and new placements for UFS staff and students through exchange visits.

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