Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
22 December 2023 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
3D-Printed Sculptural Artefact
The 3D-printed sculptural artefact entered by a group of third-years from the UFS.

A group of third-year students from the UFS Department of Architecture exhibited their work at the 2023 Venice Biennale, an international architecture exhibition showcasing ground-breaking architectural work from various countries around the world.

The contributions of world-class architects, researchers, and institutions in architecture are exhibited at this exhibition. “To be featured in this exhibition means that we are recognised by the international community as one of the leading architectural learning sites in South Africa and the work being produced at the institution deserves international acclaim,” says Phadi Mabe, Lecturer in the department.

The students representing the university with Mabe and participating in this event are Anya Strydom, Yamkelwa Simelane, Jan Truter, and Khalipha Radebe.

Mabe says the artefact produced from this project is a 3D-printed sculptural device that shows the translation between sound and object and illustrates the sound data through 3D-printed forms. “The sound structures of South Africa’s languages are mapped three-dimensionally to create a visual and spatial record of language. This unique artefact demonstrates that there are uncharted terrains in architecture, suggesting alternative dimensions that can be extrapolated to show that architecture can represent the intangible” he explains.

The UFS artefact was one of six design artefacts selected for the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, which opened to the public in May and closes on 26 November 2023.

Hosted by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the competition involved an emphasis on students incorporating African traditional architecture into their design models.

News Archive

Right to Learn campaign seeks to fund financially needy students
2015-11-11

SRC President, Lindokuhle Ntuli, pledges financial support to the Right to Learn campaign.
Photo: Tango Twasa

In response to the dire need for financial relief for academically deserving students from underprivileged backgrounds, the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the University of the Free State (UFS) launched the Right to Learn campaign on Friday 30 October 2015. The campaign, which aims to counter deregistration, was initiated following the national #FeesMustFall campaign, which gained momentum after students from the University of Witwatersrand first mobilised against the proposed fee increases for 2016.

The SRC’s Projects Committee realised that, although President Jacob Zuma had consented to a 0% increment, the lack of an increase would not eliminate the financial burden currently facing some students.

“The campaign was conceived at the SRC’s strategic planning meeting, and is now spearheaded by the SRCs Projects Committee,” said Letsika Leqoalane, SRC: Academic Affairs. “The campaign was founded on the university's value of ‘Superior Scholarship’ and the SRC’s value of reducing student financial exclusions,” he added.

Students in pursuit of continued access to education


The Right to Learn campaign was established as a supplementary initiative to the #FeesMustFall movement. “The Right to Learn campaign is an initiative to raise funds for students who are facing financial exclusion in the coming year,” said the SRC Academics Affairs officer.

All proceeds will be channeled towards reducing the number of students who will face de-registration in 2016, the SRC textbook bursary, and food bursaries. “This campaign stands on three pillars, namely: no to de-registration, no to student food insecurity, and yes to textbooks,” explained Leqoalane.

A call for support

According to SRC President, Lindokuhle Ntuli, “SRC members have made pledges of no less than R500 each from their own pockets.” The SRC is appealing to the UFS community to make donations into the campaign bank account, and thereafter to email the proof of payment to Ntuli at NtuliL@ufs.ac.za. The account details are:

Account number: 15-7085-0721 ABSA Bank Branch
Reference: SRC FUND
Branch Code: 632005 Cheque Account
Swift code: ABSAZAJJ

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