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Social Work student participates in International Social Work Course in Germany

25 October 2023 | Story Rorisang Ramorena | Photo Supplied

Each year, the University of the Free State (UFS) selects exceptional students to participate in international credit exchange programmes, meticulously crafted through collaborative partnerships with esteemed universities worldwide. The UFS exchange programme, jointly administered by the Office for International Affairs (OIA) and various academic faculties, aligns with the university’s Vision 130 strategy. This initiative is dedicated to enhancing the designated graduate attributes, placing a particular emphasis on intercultural and global competencies.

In an exciting development, the Department of Social Work nominated one of the senior students, Tiisetso Mokaeane, for a semester-long exchange programme at the Fulda University of Applied Sciences (Fulda), in Germany. During this remarkable journey, Mokaeane will participate in the International Course in Social Work, a unique experience that involves engaging in fieldwork, a diversity of activities, and active participation in projects within social work institutions. The focus will be on community work, youth work, and street work, often in vibrant intercultural settings. International students like Mokaeane will receive unwavering support and invaluable guidance from seasoned tutors and experienced social workers.

Mokaeane is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Social Work at the UFS and is poised to gain a deeper understanding of social work in Germany, particularly the intricacies of social welfare systems that are in place. He expressed his excitement by saying, “This opportunity will give me a valuable perspective on the field of social work and allow me to make a meaningful contribution to society.”

About the opportunity

This programme is part of an ongoing partnership between the UFS and various departments at Fulda University, including the Departments of Social Work, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences and the Department of Business. As part of this commitment, Fulda entitles UFS students participating in the programme with a full scholarship. The scholarship comprehensively covers the students' logistical expenses and living allowances. The OIA, in collaboration with other internal stakeholders such as the Student Counselling Service, provides all the nominated students with the necessary pre-departure support and continuous support throughout their international experience.

Kagiso Ngake, Senior Officer in the OIA under the portfolio of Partnerships: Collaborative Degrees and Outgoing Mobility, underscores the numerous benefits for students engaging in these programmes. “The exchanges offer a multitude of advantages, from fostering cultural understanding to expanding educational horizons. Furthermore, the UFS internationalisation strategy provides each student with an international experience during their academic journey. This is achieved through curriculum internationalisation and various other dimensions such as COIL, virtual exchanges and co-curricular internationalisation activities conducted at home.”

For more information on student exchange opportunities contact Kekeletso Makau via email at MakauKB@ufs.ac.za.

News Archive

Two research chairs awarded to UFS women

2015-09-15

Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela

Two professors at the University of the Free State (UFS) have just been chosen as recipients of research chairs by the National Research Foundation’s South African Research Chair Initiative.

The research chairs are a massive financial injection for research in each of the relevant disciplines – that of Profs Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela from the Centre for Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation Studies at the UFS, and Felicity Burt from the Department of Medical Microbiology in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Profs Gobodo-Madikizela and Burt are two of 42 female researchers in the country receiving research chairs as an initiative to give due recognition to women in research.

Profs Hendrik Swart, from our Departement of Physics and Melany Walker, Director, Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development, each also holds research chairs by the NRF. A third research chair has also been granted to the UFS Department of Plant Sciences for the research in field crops.

Prof Felicity Burt

The work of Prof Burt’s research chair is to investigate medically significant vector-borne and zoonotic viruses currently circulating; to define associations between these viruses and specific disease manifestations that have previously not been described in our region, to increase awareness of these pathogens; to further our understanding of host immune responses, which should facilitate development of novel treatments or vaccines and drug discovery.

Prof Gobodo-Madikizela, who has received international recognition for her work on forgiveness studies, will use this research chair to investigate historical trauma within two African contexts – those of South Africa and Rwanda. She hopes to gain insight into the role that memory plays in the formation of the experience of trauma, and to bring about healing of the trauma.

Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research at the UFS, expressed her pride on the announcement.

“We are extremely proud of the national recognition these two outstanding women researchers received. The UFS strives for research excellence, and the five current NRF research chairs, as well as two NRF A-graded researchers who are at the forefront of their disciplines globally, indicates our continued commitment to innovating, relevant, and high-impact research. We are excited about the progress of the past two years to position the UFS as a national leader in research.”

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