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30 March 2022 | Story Bulelwa Moikwatlhai | Photo Supplied
International office
An international celebration. The Office for International Affairs hosted more than a hundred local and international students at the 2022 ‘Welcome to Mzansi’ event, integrating international students to life at the UFS.

On 18 March 2022, the Internationalisation at Home (I@H) portfolio in the Office for International Affairs at the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted its annual first-year international student welcome function themed ‘Welcome to Mzansi’ at the RAG farm. The function hosted more than one hundred local and international students who are part of the I@H integration initiative – the Umoja Buddy Programme. UFS students from the Arts and Culture division in Student Affairs set the tone for the evening with a drama presentation articulating a student’s first day in the UFS community, in Bloemfontein, and its surroundings. The drama showcased the diverse student community represented at the UFS.

A welcome video from the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Francis Petersen, was shared with the students, highlighting how the past two years of the pandemic have equipped the students with key skills that they will use in the future. “I believe that the lessons you have learned will help you in the future, I know you will make an impact in your field. As a residential university, we welcome our students and staff back on campus in 2022 to learn, work, and socialise in a way that minimises risk but still provides our students with an on-campus student life.”

Prof Mudzi, the Director of the Postgraduate School, advocated the importance of furthering one’s studies. He stated, “You need to start working hard from day one of university education; the marks you get during your undergraduate years have a huge bearing on your future and your ability to progress to postgraduate studies, as it is highly dependent on the average mark you get at undergraduate level.” In his concluding remarks, Prof Mudzi advised the students to, “learn something new, engage with new people and cultures, enjoy South Africa, while succeeding in your studies at the UFS and working hard”.

Dr Hagenmeier, Director of the Office for International Affairs, delivered the keynote welcome address for the international students, with a brief introduction to the OIA staff. This, as outlined in his address, served the purpose of ensuring that students are familiar with the channels of communication, representatives, and office-bearers in specific portfolios under the OIA, as well as the functions of the OIA.

The evening ended off with musical performances by UFS students, while the attendees dined and networked over a hot plate of food. In the same spirit, the dance floor was opened. This was a very important part of integration, uniting the students regardless of their nationality, race, gender, etc. The students did not think twice about taking to the dance floor – seeing everyone dance made students who did not participate afraid that they were missing out.   


News Archive

UFS at the forefront of college lecturer training
2010-12-08

Prof. Jonathan Jansen (Vice-Chancellor and Rector, UFS), Butah Makgalemele (FET lecturer), Prof. Dennis Francis (Dean, Faculty of Education), Prof. Daniella Manning-Coetzee (Director: CED), Felicity Skully (EDTP-SETA, sponsors), Thantshi Masitara (SACCI) and Erica Odendaal (VEOP project coordinator) during the launch of the VEOP at the UFS South Campus.
Photo: Christiaan van der Merwe

The Centre for Educational Development (CED, which will be known as the School for Continuous Education from 2011) of the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently launched its special new programme for the furthering of the education of college teachers. The Vocational Education Orientation Programme (VEOP) is geared towards improving the teaching qualifications of Further Education and Training (FET) College lectures.

The programme focuses primarily on college lecturers without professional teaching qualifications, in a sector of the education system that has been long neglected according to Prof. Daniella Manning-Coetzee, Head of the CED.

This is all said to change with the implementation of the VEOP. The CED has already established training centres in Bloemfontein, Qwaqwa, Kroonstad, Thaba N’chu and Sasolburg, serving a total number of 240 lecturers. Topics specifically related to the FET College sector which these lecturers will be schooled in, include teaching methodology, assessment, workplace learning, FET College policy and planning, and action research.

The VEOP was developed by a national task team and reference group representing both universities and FET Colleges, and will be a 30-credit programme counting towards the 120-credit Vocational Education Certificate which is currently under development. 

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