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03 February 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo UFS Photo Archive
Prof Rodwell Makombe, Associate Professor in the Department of English on the Qwaqwa Campus.

Prof Rodwell Makombe, Associate Professor in the Department of English on the university’s Qwaqwa Campus, will be joining a prestigious group of more than 100 academic staff from African universities for this year’s University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS) programme.

Each year, the programme hosts more than 180 academics from different universities in Africa for a five-month fellowship, providing academics with access to the university’s research libraries and facilities, on-campus housing, health insurance, and a stipend to cover living expenses.

Fellowship an opportunity for collaboration and career growth 
 
The fellowship comes at just the right time for Prof Makombe, who said he is looking forward to mentorship for his growth and career development in a new environment and atmosphere. “I am very excited about this opportunity, which I think has come at the right time. It will expose me to a broad network of scholars, which I need for collaboration purposes, and it will also give me an opportunity to share my research and learn from the experiences of other scholars from different parts of the world. Given that I will be working closely with a faculty member of the university for the duration of the fellowship, the programme will also provide me with the mentorship that I need for my growth and career development.”
 
Apart from the exposure to broad academic and research scholars, he said he was looking forward to having the time and resources to finish writing his second book.

“I have just published my first book in October 2021, and I have already started doing research for my second book. The fellowship will give me time and space to focus on writing the book without the usual interruptions associated with my teaching responsibilities. The book focuses on cultures of resistance in post-Mugabe Zimbabwe. It is a sequel to my recent book,Cultural texts of resistance in Zimbabwe: Music, Memes, Media, which explores discursive resistance in Zimbabwe in the context of crisis.”

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The beginning of the person you want to be
2015-02-03

Photo: Supplied

“The University of the Free State is a caring community where everybody counts.” With this message, Dr Choice Makhetha, Vice-Rector: External Relations welcomed our first-years on the Qwaqwa Campus.

“Whether you are a first-year or a senior student, whether you are a cleaner or a research professor, we all have one thing in common: our humanity,” Dr Makhetha said.

“This is the stage where you are going to shape the person you want to be,” Dr Makhetha said to the audience of eager first-year students who had already spent a week undergoing a rigorous Gateway Orientation programme.

“A lot of things will happen during your stay here and one of them is making friends. Make friends with people from outside your comfort zone,” Dr Makhetha added. “Make friends with those who have a totally different background from yours so that you can learn, broaden and enrich your life.”

“Read broadly and ask questions – for questions will take you far beyond your area of study,” she said.

Zethu Mhlongo, Deputy President of the Qwaqwa Campus Student Representative Council (SRC) encouraged first-years to always remember why they chose our university in the first place.

“Enjoy your stay, get your degree and step up for success,” Mhlongo said.

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