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10 February 2023 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Lunga Luthuli
Gateway Amigos
Volunteer Gateway Amigos, a University of the Free State initiative to assist first-entering students during Gateway First-year Orientation and the transition to life at the institution.

The University of the Free State (UFS) will be hosting welcoming ceremonies – which include the 2023 UFS Dream Walk event – for first-year students on the Bloemfontein and South Campuses on 18 February 2023, and on the Qwaqwa Campus on 25 February 2023.  

The Dream Walk – also known as Kovsie Dream – is an annual event, with the first being hosted in 2022.  With the event, the UFS welcomes first-year students to the university community, placing an emphasis on their individual dreams and aspirations. The event is also an opportunity for new students to familiarise themselves with the university, facilities, available opportunities, and to make new friends. 

The UFS recognises the importance of helping students set and pursue their dreams, especially in their first year. During the event, students will have an opportunity to interact with university staff, as well as current students who will share their experiences of pursuing their dreams and overcoming obstacles. 

Students participating in the Dream Walk will have the chance to explore their potential, identify their passions, and by completing their dream cards, they will be able to set goals for their individual futures.

Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, will officially welcome students to the UFS on both days – on the Bloemfontein Campus on 18 February 2023, and on the Qwaqwa Campus on 25 February 2023.  The welcoming messages on the two campuses will be followed by a Dream Walk.  Students participating in the Dream Walk will move along the same route that students follow on the day of graduation. 

The Division of Student Affairs believes that building a strong support network is crucial for students to succeed in their academic and professional lives. By connecting with staff and seniors, first-year students will gain valuable insight into their chosen courses and receive advice on how to achieve their academic goals.

Dr WP Wahl, Director: Student Life within the Division of Student Affairs, said: “The UFS is committed to providing its students with the support and resources they need to pursue their dreams. The Rector’s Welcoming, coupled with the Dream Walk, is an exciting opportunity for first-year students to start their university journey on the right foot and to set themselves up for success.”

For more information on the Welcoming, the Dream Walk event, and the programme, please click here

News Archive

UFS mourns the death of a former Rector
2008-06-23



Photo: Prof. Wynand Mouton, last year during the launch of the UFS's Centenary Book.
 

It is with great sadness that the management of the University of the Free State (UFS) heard of the death of Prof. Wynand Mouton (79), former Rector of the UFS.

Prof. Mouton passed away this weekend in the Ferncrest Hospital in Rustenburg as a result of a cardiac arrest. He was visiting his son, Dr Wynand Mouton in Rustenburg when he fell ill three weeks ago and was admitted to hospital. Prof. Mouton’s wife, Daleen, passed away in April this year.

Prof. Mouton was Rector of the UFS from 1976-1988. His ties with the UFS stretch over 60 years. He studied for the B.Sc. degree at the UFS in 1948 and obtained doctorates in Physics and Nuclear Physics in 1960 and 1962, respectively, at the University of Utrecht.

Before his appointment as Rector of the UFS, Prof. Mouton was the first Vice-Rector of the University of Stellenbosch. He was jointly responsible for the establishment of the UFS Sasol Library and helped to stabilise the Development Trust Fund.

“Prof. Mouton left deep footprints at the UFS. He led the UFS to become a foremost research university in the country. Under his leadership, extensive sports fields were also developed on the west campus, including Shimla Park. He enlarged the university’s art collection and saw to it that student productions were staged in a modern, well-equipped theatre (later named after him),” says Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Acting Rector of the UFS.

“I am glad that we could honour him for this and other valuable contributions in 2004 with a Centenary Medal before he passed away,” says Prof. Verschoor.

Prof. Mouton was Chairman of the UFS Council from 1991-1996 and Chancellor of the UFS from 1996-1999. In 1995 he received an honorary doctorate from the UFS.

“Our sympathies go to Prof. Mouton’s children, Wynand, Hendrik and Ms Saretha Curry, as well as his three grandchildren,” says Prof. Verschoor.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
23 June 2008

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