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28 June 2022
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Story Nonsindiso Qwabe
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Photo ALBERT VAN BILJON
In conversation: Prof Petersen and Leanne Manas.
An outward-looking, globally competitive university that ranks among the top-tier universities in South Africa and on the continent, driven by a strong human-centred, diverse social-justice approach. This is at the heart of the vision
Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, shared with multi-award-winning
news anchor
Leanne Manas during a sit-down conversation on Friday 22 July 2022.
Prof Petersen reflected on the great strides and difficulties faced during his first term, as well as navigating the UFS through the COVID-19 pandemic to position the institution in a strategic and focused manner as a university of choice on the continent
and in other parts of the globe.
Prof Prakash Naidoo, Vice-Rector: Operations, introduced Leanne Manas
Prof Francis Petersen
Leanne Manas and Prof Petersen In conversation
Leanne Manas
Leanne Manas meeting our staff members.
Leanne Manas meeting our staff members.
Leanne Manas meeting our staff members.
Prof Petersen with some of our staff members
From the left; Prof Prakash Naidoo, Leanne Manas, Prof Francis Petersen and Temba Hlasho, Executive Director: Student Affairs
Leanne Manas meeting our staff members.
From the left; Prof Prakash Naidoo, Prof Francis Petersen and Quinton Koetaan, Senior Director; HRA
Leanne Manas meeting our staff members.
Meet our Council: Marius Swart – a Councillor with deep roots in the UFS
2017-07-12
Marius Swart, Alumni election on the UFS Council.
Photo: Stephen Collett
Marius Swart, a Kovsie alumnus, is an Alumni election on the University Council. Not only is he a Kovsie alumnus, but all four of his siblings and their spouses are Kovsie alumni, as well as all three his children.
Interest in future decisions at the UFS
He is currently practicing as cardiothoracic surgeon at Mediclinic in Bloemfontein, but has always been involved with the Faculty of Health Sciences at the university. He spent eight years as consultant in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and recently became a registered student again when he enrolled for an interdisciplinary PhD. He is currently also supervisor for the research projects of undergraduate medical students.
Thus, Marius no doubt has a substantial interest in the issues and future decisions at the UFS.
Guard against retroformation
"Higher education is a challenging environment and expectations about excellence and human development are being tested. Transformation is on everybody’s lips, but we have to guard against what I would call retroformation – moving back to old regimes and new forms of exclusion," he says.
Marius is excited to begin his term with a new Rector and Vice-Chancellor. He realises that many challenges awaits him as councillor on the way forward, but he is ready to pull his weight in Council.
"My own daughter is involved in the challenges students are experiencing on a daily basis, and my wife is supporting a first-generation rural student. The university should be sensitive to these students. Empowering them can bring change to communities."
His interests are varied and it is clear that he has a vision for a better world.