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26 July 2022
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Story Bulelwa Moikwatlhai
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Photo Supplied
Experiencing the UFS in person for the first time are from the left: Sandor Potjer (VU Amsterdam), Bulelwa Moikwatlhai (UFS OIA), Ricarda Kochems (Bremen University, Germany), Froukje Pronk (VU Amsterdam) and Matome Mokoena (UFS OIA)
As the UFS COVID-19 Regulations and Required Vaccination Policy has been lifted with immediate effect – allowing 100% capacity of both students and staff members and a fully operational campus – the
Office for International Affairs welcomes its first physical exchange cohort after two years. The cohort of students hail from the various international partners of the UFS, namely the
University of Bremen in Germany, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Sciences PO Bordeaux in France. The students will be hosted in the UFS faculties of the Humanities, Economic and Management Sciences, and Natural and Agricultural Sciences, respectively.
These students have been paired with
Umoja Buddy Programme ambassadors to help ensure their smooth transition and integration into student life at the UFS. Furthermore, the students received an invitation from the President of the
International Student Association (ISA), Courtney Madziwa, to join their association, thus exposing them to students from other countries to learn about the various cultures.
On 18 July, the Office for International Affairs (OIA) arranged a hybrid orientation programme for the exchange students, including those students who have not yet arrived on the Bloemfontein Campus. The students took part in an icebreaker activity, where they had the opportunity to learn from and teach other participants about their home countries. Dr Cornelius Hagenmeier, Director of the OIA, welcomed the exchange students to the Bloemfontein Campus, and expressed excitement to have physical exchanges again. Furthermore, the guest presenters ranged from student leadership, staff members, and service providers.
The presentations were practical, demonstrating, among others, how to create a password on the institutional website – presented by Mr Molemo Mohapi from UFS ICT. The presentation on how to fully utilise Blackboard was facilitated by Ms Vuthihi Mudau from the UFS CTL division. We take the safety of all our students seriously, so Ms Elise Oberholzer from the UFS Protection Services has given the students some tips on how to safeguard themselves.
President’s advisor commends UFS job creation project
2007-11-07
One of President Thabo Mbeki’s international business advisors, Dr Percy Barnevik, has commended the Mangaung University of the Free State Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP) in Bloemfontein as an example of community-based job-creation efforts.
“I am encouraged with what is going on, but you have to step up the speed dramatically. We don’t want to see 5000 jobs per month, we want to see 25000”, Dr Barnevik emphasized.
The Swedish-born business executive is a member of President Mbeki’s International Investment Council which met this weekend in George. Dr Barnevik is also involved with the Indian charity organisation Hand in Hand in their programmes to eliminate rural poverty.
The University of the Free State (UFS) is involved in the National Programme for the Creation of Small Enterprises and Jobs for the Second Economy as part of the government’s Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA).
As part of government’s job creation efforts, the UFS was appointed as a training provider for small enterprises and community based organisations.
According to the Programme Co-ordinator at the UFS, Dr Aldo Stroebel, the University of the Free State is therefore using the partnership model of MUCPP as a vehicle for training and development as well as a model that can potentially be rolled out nationally to other provinces as part of the programme to create small enterprises and jobs in the second economy.
As a result of the UFS’s involvement, 150 people were trained last year in identifying and mentoring existing self-help groups, small enterprises and community based organisations, to strengthen their ability to establish and grow small enterprises in an effort to create jobs in the Second Economy.
Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@mail.ufs.ac.za
12 November 2007