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03 January 2023
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Photo Evert Kleynhans
Dr Dolf van Niekerk.
The University of the Free State (UFS) would like to express its condolences to the family and friends of South African author, Dr Dolf van Niekerk, on his passing.
Dr Van Niekerk, the recipient of an
honorary doctorate from the UFS, passed away on 31 December 2022. The UFS awarded a Doctor of Letters to Dr Dolf van Niekerk during its April 2021 graduation ceremony.
Dr Van Niekerk was a celebrated author who also achieved fame as a dramatist and radio presenter. An alumnus of the UFS, he received a BA degree from the university cum laude in 1949. He also played a role in academia and was an emeritus professor at the University of Pretoria until his retirement in 1994. His work includes 27 books in philosophy, poetry, fiction, drama, and memoirs, for which he has received numerous awards. These include the
Eugene Marais Prize, the MER Prize, and the Scheepers Award for Youth Literature.
“Dr van Niekerk is a Kovsie alumnus with a deep connection to the Free State. He played a significant role in the country’s literary history, and it was an honour for the university to award him with an honorary degree. A wordsmith of note, Dr van Niekerk’s contributions to South African literature, radio, and stage will live on," says
Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor.
Multilingualism and integration in the spotlight
2009-10-20
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The University of the Free State (UFS) recently had a panel discussion on “Language and integration in higher education” as part of the inauguration programme of the new Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jonathan Jansen. An international panel of experts discussed the importance of multilingualism in institutions of higher learning as a crucial factor for the achievement of integration. They said for integration to be accomplished, the management of universities had to display absolute commitment to the implementation of the policies of multilingualism. Pictured from the left, are: Prof. Hein Willemse (University of Pretoria), Prof. Vic Webb (University of Pretoria), Prof. Alexandre Duchêne (University of Teach Education and University of Fribourg, Switzerland), Dr Neville Alexander (University of Cape Town), Prof. Joel Samoff (Stanford University, USA), and Prof. Theodorus du Plessis (UFS).
Photo: Gerhard Louw |