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#YouthMonth: Celebrating youth empowerment

08 June 2023 | Story Nosethu Badlezana | Photo Supplied

The University of the Free State (UFS) is celebrating Youth Month by showcasing the positive influence of the institution on career development. As part of this initiative, we are sharing the stories of UFS alumni who are now working at the university.

Nosethu Badlezana shares her UFS journey:

Q: Year of graduation from the UFS:

A: I completed my undergraduate degree in 2015 and thereafter obtained my honours in 2016.

Q: Qualification obtained from the UFS:

A: The first degree I obtained was a BA in Communication with specialisation in Media Studies and Journalism. I then made the decision to pursue my honours degree in the same field.

Q: Date of joining the UFS as a staff member:

A: In 2016, I began my internship on the Qwaqwa Campus with the Centre for Teaching and Learning’s former Curriculum Delivery and Innovation Division, which is now known as the Blended Learning Innovation Support and Services Division. The following year, upon completion of my internship, I was appointed as an Assistant Officer in the Academic Language and Literacy Development Division within the same department. Then, in 2022, I was promoted to the role of Academic Facilitator.

Q: How did the UFS prepare you for the professional world?

A: During my time as a student at the UFS, I followed a comprehensive curriculum that equipped me with essential skills to thrive in a professional setting. Through a diverse range of modules, I developed proficiencies in crucial areas, including time management, effective communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, self-management, and collaborative teamwork.

Q: What are your thoughts on transitioning from a UFS alumnus to a staff member?

A: It's a fascinating journey, one that feels like a way of giving back to the community that nurtured and shaped me. Assisting students to achieve success in higher education doesn't feel like a burden to me, as I once walked the same path as a student at this institution. The UFS has provided me with a valuable network of support and mentorship, which has been instrumental in fostering a sense of security and confidence in my chosen career path.

News Archive

Pres Steyn turns pink in anticipation of Vryfees

2014-06-06

Video clip
Live streaming

Australian artist Cigdem Aydemir vacuum packed the Pres Steyn monument on the Bloemfontein Campus’s Red Plain – in pink. Aydemir’s project, ‘Plastic Histories’, forms part of a public art project that encourages us to evaluate public monuments in their historical context.

By vacuum packing monuments, Aydemir alludes to their significance and preservation. At the same time, though, it reveals the nature of their contentious and gendered historical function. This is because most monuments in post-colonial countries typically celebrate men’s achievements in serving their nations.

In response, this project acknowledges the contribution of women from all races, communities and sexual orientations to the grand narrative of a post-apartheid South Africa.

Aydemir is also developing an app in collaboration with Australian artist Warren Armstrong. This will be used for augmented reality viewing of three city monuments – those of President Brand, General De Wet and General Hertzog. This means that visitors will be able to hold a smart phone or iPad in front of the monuments and view the monuments as if vacuum packed in pink plastic.

In conjunction with the public art project there will be an exhibition of digitally manipulated photographs of nineteen-century and contemporary male monuments in Bloemfontein. These photos will be exhibited at the Johannes Stegmann Gallery at the UFS Sasol Library from 15 July – 1 August 2014.

Public tours on the Bloemfontein Campus and into the city will take place on:

• Tuesday 15 July at 11:00,
• Wednesday 16 July at 14:00, and
• Saturday 19 July at 11:00.

Aydemir’s ‘Plastic Histories’ public art project is part of the UFS Programme for Innovation in Artform Development (PIAD) and the Vryfees arts festival’s partnership with the Australian-based SituateArt in Festivals initiative. This partnership is managed by the Salamanca Arts Centre in Tasmania.