Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
23 June 2023
|
Story Naledi Filita
|
Photo Supplied
Naledi Filita is an nGAP Lecturer in the Department of Languages in Education.
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.
Naledi Filita, nGAP Lecturer in the Department of Languages in Education, shares her UFS journey:
Q: Year of graduation from the UFS:
A: 2016, 2018, and 2021.
Q: Qualification obtained from the UFS:
A: Bachelor of Education, Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Curriculum Studies), and Master of Education (Curriculum Studies).
Q: Date of joining the UFS as a staff member:
A: 2021.
Q: Initial job title and current job title:
A: Lecturer.
Q: How did the UFS prepare you for the professional world?
A: I started my career as a teacher in 2015 and was later appointed to my current job. The UFS has equipped me with the knowledge and skills that enabled me to be competent in my field in various contexts. My journey as a UFS student equipped me with crucial skills, such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and organisational skills.
Q: What are your thoughts on transitioning from a UFS alumnus to a staff member?
A: It has been a wonderful experience so far. I was once a student teacher at this university. Due to my experiences, being able to instil knowledge and skills in student teachers is something that I am passionate about. I am grateful for the developmental opportunities and support that I receive as a young researcher.
Nobel Laureate for Chemistry to visit UFS
2017-10-28

Prof Michael Levitt will be hosted by the UFS from
14 to 16 November 2017, where he will present the
first lecture in the Vice-Chancellor’s
Prestige Lecture Series.
Photo: Supplied
It is a great honour for the University of the Free State (UFS) to host Prof Michael Levitt, recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, which he shares with Marti Karplus and Arieh Warshel.
The trio received the Nobel Prize for their development of multiscale models used for complex chemical systems. “Being awarded the Nobel Prize is a unique and marvellous experience that no one can prepare for or could in any way know what to except,” said Prof Levitt during his 2013 Nobel Lecture at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
First lecture in Vice-Chancellor’s lecture series
The South African-born Nobel Laureate and Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Visiting Scholar will present the first lecture, Birth and Future of Multiscale Modelling of Macromolecules, in the Vice-Chancellors Prestige Lecture Series at the UFS on 14 November 2017. Prof Levitt is well-known for developing approaches which predict macromolecular structures.
He is one of many distinguished academics invited annually by ASSAf to deliver lectures as part of the Distinguished Visiting Scholars’ Programme, presented by ASSAf at universities across the country.
Pioneer in research of molecular dynamics
Prof Levitt is a biophysicist and a professor of Biology at Stanford University. He was one of the earliest researchers to conduct research on molecular dynamics stimulations of DNA and proteins. “My post-prize ambitions are twofold and probably inconsistent: (1) Work single-mindedly as I did in the mid-1970s on hard problems, and (2) Help today’s young scientists gain the recognition and independence which my generation enjoyed,” said Prof Levitt.