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28 June 2022 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe | Photo ALBERT VAN BILJON
Leanne Manas and Prof Francis Petersen
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.




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First university student from Elzabé Zietsman’s Doilie Foundation chooses Kovsies
2015-01-21

Naledi Dweba and Elzabé Zietsman
Photo: Johan Roux

Naledi Dweba, one of the young people mentored by the well-known singer, Elzabé Zietsman, will become a Kovsie this year.

Although the University of the Free State (UFS) wasn’t the only university to offer Dweba a scholarship, he decided on Kovsies without doubt or further consideration and enrolled for his BMus degree with us. His instrument is the clarinet and Dweba reckons the outstanding Danré Strydom – a lecturer at the UFS’s Odeion School of Music – is the reason why he decided on Kovsies.

“She is a remarkable music teacher,” says Dweba.

Dweba, who only started with music lessons at the age of 15, recently performed his Grade 8 exam. Last year he also obtained a music distinction in matric.

Dweba and Zietsman met four years ago and, as a result of her Doilie Foundation, he now has the opportunity to pursue his dreams as a music student. Zietsman started the foundation in 2012 in order to help talented children.

“I have so many talented young people under my care, but Naledi is the first one to attend university,” Zietsman said at the university’s 2015 first-year’s welcoming on the Bloemfontein Campus.

The Doilie Foundation currently provides for several artistic children – from musicians to ballerinas. 

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