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01 June 2023
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Story Nicole Bongo
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Photo Supplied
University of the Free State students participating in one of the many projects coordinated by the Engaged Scholarship Office.
To help make a change and push for sustainable development, the University of the Free State Division of Student Affairs works with communities around Bloemfontein fostering a culture of creating sustainable solutions.
Gernus Terblanche, Kovsie Support Services and Assistant Researcher in the Division says, ‘it is important for the university to be actively involved in the community as it makes up such a large portion of the Bloemfontein and students also
represent many different communities on and off- campus.’
Terblanche said: “As an educational institution it is vital for the UFS to support and guide students towards creating innovative solutions; both local and globally. Our experience is that students often come up with real solutions that can
make a real impact in the lives of real people – and it would be crucial to support such initiatives.”
The office has worked with BloemShelter, VermiVillage, GAP Equip, National Hospital and as part of the programmes of 2022 also with Lighuis, Talita Cumi, ROC Kids and the Universitas Neighborhood association. “We are also very fortunate to have,
Shanen Emam, Miss Free State 2023 as one of our students that are involved with our programmes,” added Terblanche.
One of the students involved is Prince Sijane, Bloemfontein Campus Student Representative Council member responsible for Civic and Social Responsibility when asked why student participation is important, he said, “By actively participating in
initiatives that address social issues or promote community well-being, students become more aware of the challenges faced by society.”
Tereblanche said: “The produce of these gardens addresses hunger and malnutrition amongst students on campus. KovsieACT also facilitates an eco-vehicle project during which student teams learn how to build electric vehicles powered by solar charging
stations. This project is aimed at developing skills appropriate to the 4th Industrial Revolution and sustainable resources development including clean and green energy.”
Understanding the nature of prominence
2014-03-14
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What did Hendrik Verwoerd and Steve Biko have in common? Or perhaps Johannes Kerkorrel and Brenda Fassie?
“They all possessed a certain natural predisposition to prominence,” says Prof Paul Fouche, reseacher in psychobiography at the University of the Free State’s Department of Psychology.
Prof Fouche and a team of researchers from other South African universities released findings on psychobiographical studies done on personalities that played a great role in our history.
The studies show that notable historical figures were very often prolific readers with a passion for literature since childhood. Generally, they also had a great love for nature and a sense of the sacredness of it, as well as a love for the cosmos.
The study further reveals that many of them were forced to take up leadership roles in the family from a very young age and were driven to succeed in order to take care of their own.
In many of these cases, there was a strong partner who supported the leader while they went about the business of governing their world.
Psychobiography is the systematic and descriptively-rich case study of renowned, enigmatic or even contentious individuals in socio-historical contexts within a psychological frame of reference. Over the past decade, psychobiography has become an established research genre and a methodology used by various academics and scholars in the field of life history research.