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11 July 2023 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied
Dr Mirriam Moleko
Dr Mirriam Moleko, a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology Education in the UFS Faculty of Education, participated in the National Research Foundation’s Black Academics Advancement Programme fellowship and got the opportunity to visit universities and schools in the USA for three weeks.

After completing the National Research Foundation’s Black Academics Advancement Programme (BAAP) fellowship, a lecturer from the University of the Free State (UFS) now wants to train more teachers on issues of access and inclusivity in different mathematics settings. She also wants to establish a centre for access and inclusivity to promote quality teaching that caters to a diverse learner population.

Dr Mirriam Moleko, a lecturer in the UFS’s Department of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology Education in the Faculty of Education, participated in the BAAP fellowship, an initiative of the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the FirstRand Foundation (FRF), from 2021 to 2022. She also got the opportunity to visit universities and schools in the USA for three weeks.

Supporting emerging academics

Dr Moleko says the BAAP is a prestigious NRF programme which supports well-structured research projects with achievable aims, sound methodologies, and demonstrated prudent use of funds. The programme supports emerging academics to ensure that they develop strong research skills, collaborate with prolific scholars in their fields, visit other universities abroad, give public lectures, and attend international conferences to establish an international footprint.

“The programme allows the candidates awarded the grant to focus on research for two years” she says. “I managed to run my teacher community research project successfully during this period. My goal as an academic and a researcher is to produce work that teachers can relate to and be able to apply in their profession. I have always aspired to empower teachers to be knowledgeable and resourceful”.

“Furthermore, my goal is to strive to partake in critical conversations that are taking place within the mathematics education field, and to contribute my skills and knowledge in addressing the existing challenges, thus being part of the solution. I believe the skills that I have gained on how to conduct quality research will assist me in achieving my goals,” she added.

Benefit from funding

During the period of her fellowship she learned about forming partnerships and collaborating with other scholars in her field, which she believes is an important skill to possess as a developing scholar.

Dr Moleko says the programme played a pivotal role in the attainment of numerous significant accomplishments in her professional career thus far. She also benefitted in terms of funding, which helped her undertake autonomous research and advanced training in her area of expertise, as well as facilitated engagement in collaborative research ventures with esteemed professionals and researchers, both domestically and abroad.

“The research leave that I got enabled me to successfully conceptualise, strategise, and implement a research endeavour that yielded a more profound comprehension of the research gap that I had identified within the teacher community, thus culminating in multiple publications in esteemed periodicals.

“The NRF-BAAP funding also enabled me to undertake training, thereby refining my skill set and augmenting my comprehension of intricate principles. The experience proved to be a crucial factor in my vocational growth and bolstered my aptitude for scholarly inquiry. It also afforded me the chance to engage in mentoring endeavours for fledgling researchers.”

Transformation of the Professoriate Mentoring Programme

Dr Moleko, who is part of the UFS Transformation of the Professoriate Mentoring Programme, says this programme is an excellent initiative which is aimed at preparing young academics for future promotions and offering them skills to be competitive. The programme’s goals include building strong academics who will follow in the footsteps of the university’s current leaders.

She says the programme is critical in supporting young academics by connecting them with seasoned mentors and scholars from various fields of study. It is essential for young academics in terms of maximising their learning, expanding their network, and gaining opportunities to help facilitate their growth.

“I see the programme as a catalyst for change necessary for the university to realise the desired results,” Dr Moleko says.

During her visit to the USA she spent two weeks at Boston College and the University of Rhode Island, and also visited the Center for Applied and Specialised Technology, the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities (Sherlock Center), and the TechACCESS Center.

“The purpose of my visit was to establish networks and collaborate with prolific scholars outside South Africa on research engagements. Furthermore, the visit was intended for me to meet with my international mentors in person regarding research engagements.

“During my research visit, Prof Elizabeth Dalton from Rhode Island University and a UDL specialist, and I focused on several academic conversations and demonstrations of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies and approaches, as well as the sharing of many online resources available to support the implementation of UDL in inclusive settings.”

News Archive

Inauguration of Prof Francis Petersen as 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS
2017-05-23

Description: Prof Petersen Inauguration Charl Devenish photo Tags: Prof Petersen Inauguration Charl Devenish photo

Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor of the UFS, robes Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.
Photo: Charl Devenish

“At the UFS, we want to produce graduates for the world, and we need to ensure that we use our knowledge to uplift society”
— Prof Francis Petersen, 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS)

On Friday 19 May 2017, the University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated the inauguration of its 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof Francis Petersen. The formal inauguration was held in the Odeion Theatre on the Bloemfontein Campus. The ceremony was preceded by a week-long welcoming programme on the three UFS campuses.

The guest list included representatives from local and provincial government, vice-chancellors and rectors from across South Africa, and senior members of the university’s executive management.

During the inaugural address, Prof Petersen paid tribute to his predecessors for the role they played in making the university what it is today. This included former rectors and vice-chancellors who attended the ceremony, such as Prof Francois Retief and Prof Frederick Fourie, and Prof Stef Coetzee and Prof Jonathan Jansen who were unable to attend.

Prof Petersen characterised 2015 and 2016 as watershed years for the South African higher-education system. “The Rhodes Must Fall, and subsequent Fees Must Fall student and staff protests challenged us, and re-energised a critical engagement around the purpose of the university in an equal society, both as a site of complicity and as a potential agent for social change,” said Prof Petersen.

He committed himself to developing the UFS into an institution that will have an even greater impact than before.

“This institution I am striving to establish will be one that responds positively to inclusivity, diversity, and transformation, and which can incorporate these values into our curriculum, scholarship, and research in a productive way,” said Prof Petersen.

Prof Petersen emphasised the importance of the three-campus model. “The University of the Free State is ONE university with three campuses: the Bloemfontein Campus, our South Campus, and the Qwaqwa Campus. I am committed to align the activities of the three campuses, and to integrate our activities to a greater extent.

“We must work together to infuse each campus with the values we have identified as essential if we are to make our mark as a united University of the Free State: academic excellence, diversity and inclusivity, and innovation.”

The Chancellor, Dr Khotso Mokhele, had the honour of handing over the gown to Prof Petersen. Prof Lis Lange, Vice-Rector: Academic, explained the relationship between the university and the Basotho people, and how this relationship is honoured through the official procession gowns of the UFS. The Basotho blanket is worn by kings, and the university therefore hopes that the symbolism of the gown would be a source of inspiration to Prof Petersen.

The event was concluded by congratulatory messages from former colleagues and the President of the Student Representative Council on the Bloemfontein Campus, SK Luwaca. The event was elegant and graceful – the inaugural address was thought-provoking and inspiring.

 

Official Inauguration Ceremony:

19 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

 Description: Official Inauguration photo small Tags: Official Inauguration photo small


"I challenge you to dream big and do big." - Prof Petersen

 

Photo Caption: Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor of the UFS, robes Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.
Photo: Johan Roux

Short biography of Prof Francis Petersen
Inaugural address: 19 May 2017
Transcription of the ceremony
Photo Gallery
Video

 

Welcoming Ceremonies:

The week of 11-19 May 2017 was one of the highlights in this year’s calendar for staff and students of the University of the Free State (UFS), with various ceremonies taking place to welcome Prof Francis Petersen – who assumed his duties on 1 April 2017 – as the 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector. The festivities culminated in the official inauguration ceremony at the Bloemfontein Campus on 19 May 2017.
 
The Qwaqwa Campus welcoming ceremony took place on Thursday 11 May 2017, attracting a wide spectrum of community leaders from the area. Prof Petersen was welcomed by representatives from the two trade unions, National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and UVPERSU, as well as representatives from the Student Representative Council (SRC), the Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District, and the House of Traditional Leaders. Paramount Queen Mopeli of the Bakoena Royal House bestowed a special honour upon Prof Petersen by clothing him in a traditional Basotho blanket and hat. She said, "From our heart of hearts, welcome, Prof Francis ..., and all Godspeed during your tenure."
 
The South Campus in Bloemfontein hosted a welcoming ceremony for the new Vice-Chancellor and Rector on 18 May 2017. The ceremony included a number of vocal performances and messages from various stakeholder groups. The same afternoon, the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ) also facilitated a panel discussion, titled Diversity, inclusivity, and social justice and the renewed call for decolonisation, in the Albert Wessels Auditorium (AWO) on the Bloemfontein Campus.

The welcoming ceremonies culminated in an event in the Callie Human Centre on Friday 19 May 2017 at the Bloemfontein Campus, with a number of performances by musicians associated with the UFS, marimbas, drum majorettes from Jim Fouche Secondary School, the Grey College Gumboots, and school choirs from Eunice Secondary School, Brebner Primary School, and Willem Postma Primary School. Representatives from key stakeholders such as Nehawu, UVPERSU, the Campus Ministries Forum, SRC, Alumni, Convocation, and the UFS Council had the opportunity to convey their messages of welcome to Prof Petersen.
 
The formal inauguration ceremony took place in the Odeion Theatre on the Bloemfontein Campus the same day.

 

Qwaqwa Campus ceremony:

11 May 2017
Qwaqwa Campus

 Description: Prof Petersen with the queen 2 Tags: Prof Petersen with the queen 2

 

"Qwaqwa Campus is the perfect laboratory for sustainable sciences.” – Prof Petersen

 

Photo caption: Paramount Queen Mopeli of the Bakoena Royal House with Prof Petersen and his wife, Cheslyn.
Photo: Mamosa Makaya

Photo Gallery
Video

Read the full story
Transcription of the ceremony

 

South Campus ceremony:

18 May 2017
South Campus

 Description: South Campus welcoming Tags: South Campus welcoming

 

"South Campus: you aspire excellence, adding to diversity and you are innovative in what you do." - Prof Petersen

Photo caption: Flag bearers and drummers walking to the Madiba Arena.
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

Photo Gallery

Read the full story
Transcription of the ceremony

 

 

Bloemfontein Campus panel discussion:

Panel discussion: Diversity, inclusivity and social justice and the renewed call for decolonisation
18 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

 Description: Panel discussion 18 May 2017 Tags: Panel discussion 18 May 2017


"The UFS should be a place of belonging for everyone." - Prof Petersen

 

Photo caption: from left: SK Luwaca (SRC President, Bloemfontein Campus), Prof Elelwani Ramugondo (UCT), Prof Francis Petersen (UFS), Prof Melissa Steyn (WITS), Prof Andre Keet (UFS)
Photo: Lelanie de Wet

Photo Gallery

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Transcription of panel discussion



 

Bloemfontein Campus ceremony:

19 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

 Description: Bloem welcoming ceremony on 19 May 2017 Tags: Bloem welcoming ceremony on 19 May 2017


"I can just say, Wow! I've experienced a lot during the welcoming functions on all three campuses." - Prof Petersen

 

Photo caption: Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

Photo Gallery

Read the full story
Transcription of the ceremony


 

 

Description: Inauguration and welcoming of Prof Petersen combined gallery Tags: Inauguration and welcoming of Prof Petersen combined gallery

Photo gallery of Inauguration and Welcoming Ceremonies

 

 

 

 

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