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UFS Qwaqwa Campus Africa Day
The UFS Qwaqwa Campus Africa Day event celebrates African heritage and diversity.

The University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus concluded Africa Month with a multicultural array of performances at their Africa Day Celebration event on 27 May 2023.

The Qwaqwa Campus is renowned for its traditional flair, and each of the 17 performers captivated the audience with cultural ingenuity, creating an atmosphere of excitement and energy in the campus’ Mandela Hall. Students came together to honour Africa’s rich cultural heritage through traditional music, dance, poetry, cuisine, and fashion. The Department of Student Affairs and the Office for International Affairs collaborated to make the celebrations a resounding success.

According to the campus’ Student Life Senior Officer, Simbongile Jojo, the event served a greater purpose beyond artistic expression. “The celebration allowed students to share their rich cultures and heritage. It also encouraged students to take an interest in expanding their knowledge of other cultures, fostering a sense of multicultural solidarity and unity.”

Celebrating and embracing cultures outside one’s own

In addition to the music, dance, and spoken word, external fashion designers were given a platform to showcase their garments, adding an extra flair to diversity and artistic expression.

The Director of Student Affairs on the campus, Zoleka Dotwana, said her division prioritised student cohesion and celebrating and embracing cultures outside their own. “What a fantastic arts and culture event. Amid the freezing weather conditions, I haven’t seen such enthusiasm and social cohesion among students since the first-year welcoming week. The event was about celebrating Africa as a collective of citizens from various corners and doing so with pride. Our partnership with the International Office came in handy as well. I would like to highlight that Qwaqwa students are exceptionally talented. How I wished we had more time for them to enjoy themselves.

The Qwaqwa Campus introduced colleges for on- and off-campus students in 2023, and Dotwana said the model was already bearing fruit in bringing the student community together. “It was encouraging to see the participation of off-campus students and witness how proud students were in parading their cultures. I was surprised to find out that we have Tsonga students on the campus.”

News Archive

UFS launches unique project to honour great teachers
2011-04-21

Dedicated, hard-working, inspiring and motivational ...

These are the kind of teachers the University of the Free State (UFS) is looking to honour in their Great Teachers Project.
 
When one is confronted by most images of teachers in the mainstream media, these are rarely the words that come to mind, though. However, for many young men and women these are exactly the traits which they saw in their teachers, and which inspired them to become South Africa’s next generation of poets, painters, architects, mathematicians, drummers, pilots, lawyers, philosophers, doctors, accountants, community developers and more.
 
One rarely hears about the truly great teachers from our past and present who are the driving force behind the successes of many of our greatest achievers. The teachers who go the extra mile to convey the intricate beauties within their subjects, lead an exemplary life and produced the activists, critical thinkers and leaders we all cherish.
 
Therefore, the UFS and the Sunday Times have joined hands in identifying 150 of the greatest teachers, who moved, inspired and transformed South Africans during their time at school. These are the teachers who stood out among their colleagues and made a lasting impact on their learners, inspiring them to excel, long after the mathematical equations and English literature tests are forgotten.
 
The stories will be collected and assembled on a central database and categorised, edited and represented into a coherent array of powerful accounts of inspired and inspiring teachers.
 
A book entitled Great Teachers will be published in December 2011, detailing the stories of these great individuals. The introduction to the book will present the plan and process that led the storied collection.
Those who are interested are invited to submit a 500 to 750 word essay on any teacher who made an impact in their life and submit it to greatteachers@ufs.ac.za before 30 May 2011.
 
All proceeds from the sales of the book will be used to provide bursaries to student teachers of today, who may become the great teachers for tomorrow’s generation.


Media Release
21 April 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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