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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

Arts and Social Justice festival brings creativity and academia together
2013-08-28

 

Photo: Linda Fekisi
14 August 2013



Who really benefited from the post-1994 democratic dispensation in the sports arena? What happened to the heroes of non-racial sport? Did the 1992 transition to unification wipe out an entire history of black sport in rugby and replaced it with a sanitized version of the sport?

These are some of the questions film producer Mark Fredericks explores in his thought-provoking documentary film ‘Injury Time’. The film is one of several documentaries screened as part of the second annual Artistic and Social Justice Week, hosted by the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice from 19 to 31 August 2013.

Extended from last year's one-week run, this year’s programme is packed with great productions, exhibitions and intellectual encounters celebrating freedom of expression. A highly-anticipated event on the programme is the open-air film screening of the documentary 'Dear Mandela' on Friday 30 August. This film follows the journey of three young people from their shacks to the highest court in the country as they invoke Nelson Mandela's example and become leaders in a growing social movement.

Speaking at the opening of the festival, Prof André Keet, Director of the Institute, said the purpose of the two week programme is to explore new and different ways of understanding social relations. "It’s an endeavour which is crucial to the Institute's objective of confronting the histories, policies and practices that has shaped and constrained the intellectual and social mandate of universities across the country and world."



“The role of art and literature in reflecting on society, has overtaken – in terms of substance, quality and relevance – the function of critical commentators, political analyst, sociologists and philosophers. Artists are, simply put, better political commentators than political commentators themselves. Better political commentators than philosophers, better political commentators than political analysts. Uniquely positioned to engage with social reality, art and literature demand that we experience artistic work as political acts.” Prof André Keet

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