Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

National multiplication training on internationalisation in South Africa

09 March 2022 | Story Dr Cornelius Hagenmeier

The University of Venda (Univen) and the University of the Free State (UFS) have been awarded a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies (DIES) National Multiplication Trainings (NMT) programme to implement training on internationalisation for higher education leaders and managers. It is co-funded by the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and the two coordinating universities. Two emerging internationalisation managers, Mr Matome Mokoena (UFS) and Mrs Nontlanhla Ntakana (Univen), are coordinating the programme, which is supported by DAAD with 25 000 euros.

Dr Segun Obadire (Univen) and Dr Cornelius Hagenmeier (UFS), who serve as directors responsible for the international offices at their universities, are part of the training committee. The theme of the training programme is ‘Enabling Internationalisation in Light of the 2020 Policy Framework for Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa 2022’; it comprises two training workshops and several virtual engagements. The first training workshop was held at the UFS from 1 to 3 March 2022.

Trendsetters

Mrs Nontlanhla Ntakana and Mr Matome Mokoena are alumni of the biannual DAAD DIES Training Course on Management of Internationalisation (MOI) at the Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. They seized the opportunity to forge a multiplication training that would impact internationalisation leaders and managers from across South Africa and empower them to leverage the 2020 Policy Framework for Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa to advance the internationalisation process at their institutions.

Internationalisation experts

Dr Nico Jooste and Mrs Merle Hodges served as external experts on the training committee. Both are internationally renowned experts in the field and former presidents of the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA). Mr Leolyn Jackson (Central University of Technology, CUT) and Prof Lynette Jacobs (UFS) also contributed to the first training workshop.

Structure

This programme commenced in February, with participants engaging in topical readings and submitting their first assignment. First, a virtual workshop introduced participants to the UNIVEN Moodle e-learning platform used for the course. The face-to-face workshop at the UFS will be followed by a second in-person training at the University of Venda in September 2022. Virtual workshops and support of the participants through a dedicated WhatsApp group and other mentorship programmes will ensure the continuity of the training between the face-to-face workshops. Participants who were unable to attend the UFS and UNIVEN workshops in person could participate via a virtual link, thus ensuring that no participant is left behind.

Participants

Twenty participants from eight public higher education institutions were selected by the training committee to participate in the training programme. Two participants from this year’s NMT cohort were also accepted into the DIES MOI course at the Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. They are Prof Nontokozo Mashiya from the University of Zululand (Unizulu) and Mbali Mkhize from the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT). Participants in the first workshop have indicated that they gained a lot from the numerous exercises and activities in the programme. They also mentioned that the programme would change the outlook of internationalisation at their universities in the future.

News Archive

Two honorary doctorates part of highlights at UFS graduations

2017-11-30

Leah Molatseli (left), Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, and Likeleli Monyamane will be
the guest speakers during the End-of-year Graduation Ceremonies
at the University of the Free State.
Photos: Supplied, www.mudboots.co.za

Roads and entrance closed due to roadworks on the Bloemfontein Campus

Graduation Livestream

Two honorary doctorates and a Chancellor’s medal will be some of the highlights during the End-of-year Graduation Ceremonies at the University of the Free State (UFS).

The Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus will once again welcome graduates, their parents, friends, and relatives for the celebrations on 6 and 7 December 2017. A total number of 1226 qualifications, including diplomas, certificates, and degrees, will be conferred during the two days.

Altogether 40 doctorates and 109 master’s degrees will be awarded. Most doctorates (19) will be awarded in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, while most of the master’s degrees (27) are in the same faculty.

Prof Holloway, Botha, and Isaacs honoured
Prof Paul Holloway (Natural and Agricultural Sciences) and Marius Botha (Law) will receive honorary doctorates during the afternoon ceremony on 7 December 2017, while Joyene Isaacs (Natural and Agricultural Sciences) will be honoured with a Chancellor’s Medal.

Prof Holloway is an internationally acclaimed expert in the science and technology of surfaces, thin films, and nanoparticles, and Botha has played a significant role in financial planning in South Africa. Isaacs is the Head of Department of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, and her department has been nominated by the South African Institute of Government Auditors as the best government department.

Young leader, young alumnus, and humanitarian
Likeleli Monyamane, Leah Molatseli, and Dr Imtiaz Sooliman will be the guest speakers at the ceremonies.

Monyamane, a UFS Council member, will address graduates on 6 December 2017 during the morning ceremony. She is one of 15 young leaders selected to represent Lesotho as participants in the Mandela Washington Fellowship in the United States. In 2016, Molatseli, the speaker during the afternoon session on 6 December 2017, launched South Africa’s first legal ecommerce website, Lenoma Legal, and is the university’s most recent Young Alumnus of the Year.

Dr Sooliman, the speaker at both ceremonies on 7 December 2017, is the founder and Director of the Gift of the Givers Foundation. He has received more than 100 national and international awards, citations, commendations, and special recognition for his humanitarian work.

Date: 6 December 2017
Time: 09:00: All qualifications up to Honours degrees in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (including the Business School) and the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
14:30: All qualifications up to Honours degrees in the Faculties of Education, Law, the Humanities, and Theology

Date: 7 December 2017
Time: 09:00: All qualifications up to Honours degrees in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Educational qualifications in Open Distance Learning – South Campus
14:30: Master’s and Doctoral degrees in all faculties

For information about the ceremonies, click here to visit the graduation home page.

#UFSSummerGrad17 Tweets

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept