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UFS celebrates new graduates during December graduation ceremonies

28 November 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba

General Post, GRADS DEC 2023 — It’s time for the UFS’s December graduation ceremonies!

Esteemed guest speakers

Tirelo Sibisi, Vice-Chairperson of the UFS Council, will be the distinguished guest speaker on the first day of graduations. Sibisi boasts an illustrious career, with over two decades of experience in human resource management, including notable roles at AngloGold Ashanti, the country's biggest cement manufacturer (PPC Cement), IBM, and Telkom. Her contributions extend to various boards and committees, showcasing her expertise and dedication to various fields.

Dr Anchen Laubscher, who also serves on the UFS Council, will take the stage as guest speaker on the second day. Dr Laubscher is currently the Group Medical Director of Netcare Ltd, leading the strategic oversight and operational execution of clinical and quality-related matters. Her commitment to healthcare excellence and leadership, coupled with being the first female President of the UFS Student Representative Council (SRC), exemplifies her remarkable achievements.

Chancellor’s Medallist

Professor Mattheus Lötter is set to finally receive the prestigious Chancellor’s Medal from the Faculty of Health Sciences. This conferral was postponed from the April 2023 graduation ceremonies due to a personal loss experienced by Prof Lötter. This will mark a pivotal point in his distinguished career, allowing him to celebrate a noteworthy accomplishment.

Details of the ceremonies

The festivities are set to commence on 7 December 2023, starting at 09:00 with the graduations for the Faculty of The Humanities, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and the Faculty of Theology and Religion. The day concludes with ceremonies for the Faculty of Education, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, and the Faculty of Law, all beginning at 14:30.

The celebration continues on 8 December 2023, at 09:00, as graduands from the Faculty of Health Sciences proudly take the stage.

For further information and updates on the UFS 2023 December graduation ceremonies, click here.

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.