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03 March 2021
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Story Giselle Baillie
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Photo Supplied
_web.jpg?sfvrsn=987e6620_1 "NJ van Merwe Read More (1)_web")
Residence members who led the project, included:
Bohlokwa Rantja, the Residence Prime, and Transformation Committee members Nsuku Mutemela, Ofentse Motlakeng, Phindile Tjale, Madinku Mabala, Mmapopi Motshoso, Karabo Shuping, and Tagane Sekete.
The University of the Free State (UFS) Council approved and adopted Lehakwe House as the new name for the
NJ van der Merwe residence on the Bloemfontein Campus. The approval on 26 November 2020 followed a lengthy process of deliberation, consultation, and public engagement that has taken place since November 2019 and is aligned with the UFS Policy on Naming and Renaming. The name-change process was initiated by the Prime and Transformation Committee of the residence, guided by the
Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice and supported by a multi-stakeholder committee representative of the residence, the Housing and Residence Affairs Office, the Department of Student Affairs, the Student Representative Council, and alumni.
Lehakwe – a precious gem
Following a lengthy evaluation process of the names submitted through a public voting and recommendation platform in July 2020, ‘Lehakwe’ – a Sesotho word referring to a ‘precious gem’ – emerged as the front runner. As many current and past members of the residence attest, this womxn’s residence has come to occupy a significant space within the hearts and minds of UFS students and the UFS community, given that its spirit has always been closely aligned with the constitutional values of dignity, equality, and freedom and with the human values of ubuntu. In this vein, the new name of ‘Lehakwe’ presents a consolidation of constitutional and university values into the day-to-day thinking, learning, living, and legacy spaces of students, as well as everyone who interacts and engages with the UFS.
Prof. Driekie Hay appointed as SANPAD Facilitator
2009-06-26
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| Photo: Supplied |
Prof. Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been appointed as SANPAD facilitator for its Research Capacity Building Initiative (RCI). SANPAD (South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development) is a unique collaborative research programme that has been financed by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1997, says Prof. Frans Swanepoel, Director: Research Development at the UFS.
SANPAD funds high quality, collaborative research by South African researchers in association with Dutch researchers.
SANPAD has established a capacity development programme, the RCI, to build the knowledge of research methodology of a selection of junior researchers.
The RCI is aimed at producing reflective academics
• who have a broad insight into theories, ideas, methods and practices in research in the social sciences,
• who are capable of making informed choices among these, and of further developing their knowledge and expertise in their chosen fields,
• who are capable of bringing a research project to a successful conclusion within a specified time frame and budget,
• who are capable of writing up their results as academic articles worthy of publication in reputable journals, and
• who are capable also of disseminating their results less conventionally among those who can best make practical use of them.