Latest News Archive

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

ISRC President Simphiwe Dube obtains degree with distinction

03 May 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo Supplied

The president of the ISRC, Simphiwe Dube, left his seat alongside the Convocation and traded his procession regalia for the black gown, as he walked across the stage to receive his qualification during the morning session of the Qwaqwa Campus graduation ceremony on 30 April 2022.

Students, proud parents, and loved ones in the Rolihlahla Mandela Hall ululated and clapped as Dube received his Bachelor of Education degree majoring in Intermediate Phase Teaching, with distinction.

Dube himself revelled in the moment, shouting “amandla” to the overjoyed crowd.

Reflecting on how he managed to balance an impeccable academic record while being fully active in student politics as well as other extracurricular activities on campus, Dube said it was all doable with determination, courage, and selflessness.

“I always knew I wanted to make a difference in one way or another, and I suppose that's why I chose teaching as a profession. Coming to university, I was received by a cloud of activism that changed the way I viewed the world. I suppose that's where my journey in the space began.”

He said the first duty of a revolutionary was to be educated. “Education should be the bloodline of every true revolutionary; it should be the driving force, and it really is inspirational to end an academic period in a cloud of glory; this itself should be a message.”

Describing himself as keen and goal-driven through academic excellence and leadership skills, Dube shared the following words with the student community: “The true goal is to be educated; the main thing is to get that qualification. We are born to be great from the day we enter the UFS gates, we can only stop at the top. Therefore, we should always anchor ourselves in the true revolutionaries who have sought to emancipate education at every turn.”

Click to view document View his moment on stage here:

News Archive

UFS celebrates research excellence

2016-02-25

Researchers at the university were acknowledged for their new research ratings. From the left are: Prof Johann de Wet, Department of Communication Sciences; Prof Naomi Morgan, Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French; Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research; Prof André Pelser, Department of Sociology; Dr Trudi O’Neill, Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology; and Prof Riaz Seedat, Department Otorhinolaryngology.

During a recent gala occasion, the University of the Free State (UFS) acknowledged 15 of its researchers who received new ratings from the National Research Foundation (NRF).

According to Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research at the UFS, 37 applications have already been received for the next round of ratings by the NRF. In recent years, the university has experienced an increase in the rating of its researchers as the result of raised academic standards. These are in line with the Academic Project of the UFS. The UFS has 125 rated researchers in total.

The 15 recipients of new ratings from the NRF in 2015,are:

- Dr Tanya Beelders, Computer Science: Y2
- Dr Andrew Cohen, History: Y1
- Prof Pieter de Villiers, Theology: C2
- Prof Johann de Wet, Communication: C3
- Dr Angelinus Franke, Agriculture: C2
- Prof Jonathan Jansen, Education: B1
- Prof Riaan Luyt, Chemistry: B3
- Prof Naomi Morgan, Linguistics: C2
- Dr Trudi O’Neill, Microbiology: C1
- Prof André Pelser, Sociology: C3
- Dr Johann Rossouw, Philosophy: C2
- Prof Riaz Seedat, Health: C3
- Dr Jakub Urbaniak, Theology: Y2
- Dr Martin van Zyl, Mathematics: C3
- Prof Sue Walker, Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences: C1

The UFS also celebrated its five SARChI research chairs during this event. The main goal of the research chairs is to promote research excellence.

The five research chairs at the UFS are all established at Tier 1. Research chairs in the Tier 1 category are based on the researcher's research track record, as well as on the training record of his/her postgraduate and postdoctoral students. Tier 1 research chairs are awarded to established researchers who are leaders in their field, and whose work is recognised internationally.

The following research chairs have been awarded to the UFS since 2013:

- Solid State Luminescent and Advanced Materials, Prof Hendrik Swart in the Department of Physics (2013-2017)
- Disease Resistance and Quality in Field Crops, Prof Maryke Labuschagne (2016-2020)
- Higher Education and Human Development, Prof Melanie Walker (2013-2017)
- Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Pathogens, Prof Felicity Burt (2016-2020)
- Humanities without Borders: Trauma, History and Memory (2016-2020)

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