Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
01 August 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Maryke Venter
UFS No student Hungry concert
Attending the first Winter Warmer Indoor Concert, hosted by the Faculty of Health Sciences, were, from the left: Prof Hanneke Brits, Dorah Klaas from UFS Institutional Advancement, Dr Nicholas Pearce, and Mantwa Makhakhe, Senior Financial Planner and Director at Sanlam.

“Don’t worry about a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right
Singin’: “Don’t worry about a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right!”

An extract from the lyrics of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, performed by Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of the Free State (UFS), and Prof Hanneke Brits, Associate Professor in the UFS Department of Family Medicine, singing along with the staff and students from the UFS Faculty of Health Sciences and the audience. This performance was one of the highlights during the first Winter Warmer Picnic Concert presented by the Faculty of Health Sciences. 

The faculty, besides displaying the talent of its medical students, the Free State Youth Wind Ensemble, the UFS Choir, and nationally renowned Lucy Sehloho, aimed to create a fun evening for staff, students, and the Bloemfontein community in order to raise awareness for hungry students. 

About students for students

It is a function about students for students, remarked Prof Prakash Naidoo, Vice-Rector: Operations, who opened the event. According to him, millions of people worldwide go hungry every day. “At the UFS, there are also many students who are not able to afford basic food stuffs. Often, essentials are not covered by student bursaries, leaving students hungry and struggling to perform at the academic level expected,” he said. 

To enter the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus where the concert was hosted, members of the audience could donate non-perishable food, sanitary items, or blankets. The 800 food parcels collected at the event will be distributed by the No Student Hungry programme

Besides students, staff members and their families who attended the concert and donated towards the NSH, the Life Rosepark Hospital and Sanlam also made financial contributions towards the programme. 

Community coming together for a good cause

The idea to host the concert and to see lecturers in the faculty perform, stemmed from the CANSA shavathon held earlier this year when more than R10 000 was raised for people suffering from cancer and other related illnesses. Dr Pearce indicated that, should students reach the R10 000 mark, he and Prof Brits would perform Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. The original idea of one performance evolved into a two-hour concert, seeing members of the Bloemfontein community coming together for a good cause. 

“Due to your contribution, many students will not go hungry,” said Dr Pearce, thanking everyone who attended the concert and donated to the NSH programme.

• Should you also like to make a difference in someone’s life and make a cash donation to the No Student Hungry programme, please scan the QR code and follow the instructions. Your contribution can go a long way in making a difference in someone’s life. 

News Archive

Two academics receive prestigious fellowship for leadership programme
2013-01-16

The University of the Free State (UFS) boasts two academics who received the HELM LEAD (Higher Education and Leadership Programme) Fellowship for 2013. Prof. Liezel Lues from the Department of Public Administration and Management and Prof. Liezel Herselman from the Department of Plant Sciences both received this prestigious fellowship.  

After the nationwide nomination procedure – with a choice from 120 applications - Higher Education South Africa (HESA) awarded 25 placements in the programme. Candidates who were selected, had to be in middle-management positions within the university sector, had to have exceptional qualities, and had to exhibit management and leadership potential within their university.  

This group will now undergo a number of modules in Higher Education, which will start during January in Cape Town. The aim of the programme, running between February 2013 and April 2013, is to provide learning opportunities for middle and senior managers to gain knowledge and skills, with a view to the successful navigation of the constant challenges of change and to interpret effectively the operational impact of internal and external drivers.  

Modules include topics such as Academic Policy and Planning; Governance and Strategy; Systems Management; and Managing People and Change.  

Prof. Lues stated that she applied for the programme because she strongly believes that an effective and vibrant public sector, and especially the role of female academics therein, will play a fundamental role in the transformation of the South African community towards a prosperous and tolerant society. “I believe the LEAD component of HESA will offer me the opportunity to enhance my knowledge and insight with regard to the socio-political environment and its impact on higher education institutions. The envisaged outcomes of the programme will also directly lead to the improvement of my leadership and management practices within the UFS’ Department of Public Administration and Management,” said Prof. Lues.  

Prof. Herselman was appointed as Head of the Department of Plant Sciences, effective from 1 January 2013.  She is very excited about this new position and said: “Although I am looking forward to the new challenge, I am aware of my lack of experience as a manager. The LEAD programme will provide me with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed as Head of Department and will give me the opportunity to strengthen the Department of Plant Sciences and to make it a Department of international stature.”

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