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UFS position statement on xenophobia

12 April 2022 | Story Lacea Loader

The management of the University of the Free State (UFS) is deeply concerned about the continued xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in our country, specifically the actions of, and statements made by groups and individuals.

The UFS condemns all forms of xenophobic and Afrophobic actions and thinking and expresses its solidarity with the members of the university community hailing from other regions of the African continent and the world. The UFS is committed to promoting diversity, social justice, inclusivity, and transformation and is united in its diversity. As a university community, it cherishes diversity as a catalyst for positive change, innovative research, and cutting-edge teaching and learning. Xenophobic actions, threats, or statements will not be tolerated at the UFS. The UFS is committed to nurturing and entrenching a human-rights culture and advocating human rights, both within the context of the university and beyond.

Xenophobia, Afrophobia, and discrimination jeopardise the process of internationalisation at any university. It limits the international and multicultural exposure of our students, which is important to achieve graduate attributes and to specifically develop students’ international and intercultural competence. The UFS is strategically strengthening its collaborations and partnerships in Africa and beyond. It recognises the positive power of diversifying the knowledge paradigms with which it interacts. International staff members, postdoctoral fellows, and students make a significant contribution to the academic project, scholarship traditions, and intellectual diversity of the university.

The management of the UFS will do everything in its power to ensure the well-being of all members of its international university community.

Xenophobia is the ‘fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign’ (Merriam-Webster Dictionary), whereas Afrophobia can be understood as the ‘fear and hatred of the cultures and people of Africa’.

News Archive

Graduates to flourish at 2014 Spring Graduation Ceremony

2014-07-12

Spring does not just bring warmer weather and blossoming flowers, it also ushers in another graduation ceremony on the Bloemfontein Campus.

On Thursday, 18 September 2014, the university will award diplomas and certificates up to and including honours degrees to our graduates from all seven of our faculties.

Firstly, at 09:30, the Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences, Health Sciences and Natural and Agricultural Sciences will confer degrees during the morning ceremony.

During the afternoon ceremony at 14:30, the Faculties of the Humanities, Education (CE, NPDE and ACE excluded), Law and Theology will confer their degrees.

A total of 727 degrees will be conferred at this year’s Spring Graduation:

- Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences: 167
- Faculty of Health Sciences: 119
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences: 155
- Faculty of the Humanities: 185
- Faculty of Education: 66
- Faculty of Law: 29
- Faculty of Theology: 6

Well-known satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys will be the guest speaker at both ceremonies on the day, certain to both entertain and motivate the graduates and audience alike.

The events of both graduation ceremonies will be streamed live from our website at http://www.ufs.ac.za/content.aspx?uid=247 .

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