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UFS sympathises with the passing of Dr Dolf van Niekerk

03 January 2023 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo Evert Kleynhans

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.

News Archive

Shaping strong foundations for young children

2011-10-02

At the seminar were Profs. Nithi Muthukrishna from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Hasina Ebrahim
Photo: Maritza Olivier

Experts in the field of early-childhood development gathered at our Bloemfontein Campus on Thursday, 29 September 2011 to attend a seminar focusing on curriculum in the early years. The seminar, organised by our Faculty of Education, the Flemish Government and the Free State Department of Education attracted delegates from Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, Kenya, and the United Kingdom.

Prof. Hasina Ebrahim, Associate Professor at our School for Social Sciences and Language Education, said the aim was to stimulate conversation on the realities of young children’s lives, the inequalities that exist and the implications for curriculum development in the early years.

Speakers at the seminar covered topics on worldviews of childhood development, indigenous curriculum perspectives and child participation in the curriculum in the early years.

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