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14 June 2023 | Story Kamohelo Tshabalala | Photo Supplied
Dr Kamohelo Tshabalala
Dr Kamohelo Tshabalala, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics, shares his UFS journey.

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.

Dr Kamohelo Tshabalala, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics, shares his UFS journey:

Q: Year of graduation from the UFS: 

A: 2004 and 2015.

Q: Qualification obtained from the UFS: 

A: BSc in Physics and Mathematics and PhD in Solid State Physics.

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

A: 2003 to 2004 and 2012 to date.

Q: Initial job title and current job title: 

A: I began my journey as a Lab Assistant, but over time, I advanced to higher positions within the academic realm. Presently, I proudly serve as a Senior Lecturer and Subject Head in the esteemed Department of Physics. Additionally, I have taken on the role of acting Assistant Dean in the distinguished Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

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

A: First and foremost, I successfully completed my BSc degree, followed by the attainment of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). I firmly believe that these educational achievements serve as a solid foundation for excelling in both teaching and leadership roles.

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

A: It is a very interesting aspect; however, this transition may entirely depend on an individual’s interest in whether to continue with their studies or not. The stimulation may come from the undergraduate teachings that exhibit real interventions for new developments towards empowering the society at large.

Q: Any additional comments about your experience? 
A: As both an academic and a departmental leader for the past nine years, I am very grateful for all the support from the university community. I would encourage young scholars to explore more leadership roles that are available in the sector, because one is always up to date with new initiatives and strategies for the betterment of human and academic projects.

News Archive

UFS hosts Commonwealth universities
2005-08-25

The University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein will host delegates from 14 universities across the Commonwealth next week as part of a programme to measure and promote excellence in university management.

The workshop will be held from Monday, 29 August to Wednesday, 31 August 2005 as part of the Commonwealth University Management Benchmarking Programme, run by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU).

It is the first time that the UFS will host the workshop and the second time that it is held in South Africa. 

“The purpose of the programme is to promote and measure excellence in university management.  Unlike other university benchmarking programmes that focus on matters such as research output, the programme run by the ACU follows a process benchmarking approach and aims to identify and promote best practice and quality assurance,” said Prof Magda Fourie, Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the UFS.

According to Prof Fourie the programme runs on an annual basis and works on a quality improvement cycle.  Every year certain areas of university management are evaluated by a panel of international assessors.  This year it focuses on strategic planning, recruitment and retention of staff, and branding. 
If weaknesses are identified, plans are compiled which should result in  an upward spiral of continued quality improvement.

“The UFS has been taking part in the programme for the past five years.  Last year we fared particularly well with the evaluation of our change management and engagement with the community,” said Prof Fourie. 

“The ACU benchmarking programme is a useful forum in which we can measure ourselves against  our peers.  It will also help us to prepare for the audit of the effectiveness of our quality assurance policies and systems, which will be conducted in October 2006 by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the Council for Higher Education (CHE),” said Prof Fourie.

Other universities that will take part in the workshop include the Leeds Metropolitan University, the University of Glamorgan in the United Kingdom, the University of Northern British Columbia in Canada, the Central Queensland University, the Monash University in Australia, and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).


Media release
Issued by:  Lacea Loader
   Media Representative
   Tel:  (051) 401-2584
   Cell:  083 645 2454
   E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
25 August 2005
 

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