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Guest lecture: the role of higher education in strong democracies

05 April 2024 | Story DR NITHA RAMNATH

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State, Prof Francis Petersen, has the pleasure of inviting you to a guest lecture presented by H.E. Dr Reuben E Brigety, the United States Ambassador to South Africa.

Date: Tuesday 23 April 2024

Time: 15:00-16:00

Venue: Centenary Complex, Bloemfontein Campus

RSVP here by no later than 19 April 2024.

About the speaker

Reuben E Brigety II was confirmed as the 29th United States Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa on 21 July 2022.

Previously, he served as the 17th Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South and Mayor of Sewanee from June 2020 until December 2021, and as the Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs of the George Washington University from 2015 to 2020. Ambassador Brigety’s most recent diplomatic assignment was serving as the US Representative to the African Union and US Permanent Representative to the UN Economic Commission for Africa from September 2013 to September 2015. Previously, Ambassador Brigety served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of African Affairs and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Ambassador Brigety also held appointments as Assistant Professor of Government and Politics at George Mason University and at the School of International Service at the American University between August 2003 and April 2009. In addition, Ambassador Brigety was a researcher with the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW) from August 2001 to May 2003, where he conducted research missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Before joining HRW, Ambassador Brigety was an active-duty US naval officer and held several staff positions in the Pentagon and in fleet support units.

Ambassador Brigety is a 1995 Distinguished Midshipman Graduate of the US Naval Academy, where he earned a BSc in Political Science (with merit), served as the Brigade Commander, and received the Thomas G Pownall Scholarship. He also holds an MPhil and a PhD in International Relations from the University of Cambridge, England, as well as a Doctor of Humane Letters (honoris causa) from Old Dominion University. Ambassador Brigety is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a recipient of the council’s International Affairs Fellowship, and a fellow of the American Academy of Diplomacy.He is married to Dr Leelie Selassie, and together they have two sons.

News Archive

Kovsies triumph in Free State hockey

2014-08-05

During the first weekend of August 2014, the University of the Free State (UFS) was once again crowned as the Free State hockey champions.

In the finals of the Free State championships, the Kovsies’ women’s team beat the Reds (Kovsies 2nd team) by 10-1. This is the ninth consecutive year that our women’s team walk away as champions. It was clear from the start that Kovsies wouldn’t be satisfied by anything less than a win and a courageous Reds team was unable to cover all the gaps.

After being at the helm for three years, the Kovsies’ coach, Jacques du Toit, announced his retirement after the game. During his coaching term, Kovsies had their best performances since the 1984 season – when the Kovsie women won the University Sports South Africa (USSA) tournament.

Since 2012, the Kovsies’ women’s team went from strength to strength. For the first time since 1993, they ended among the top four teams in the USSA tournament that year. In the following year they repeated this performance and also achieved a bronze during the first Varsity Sport Hockey tournament for women.

Kovsies’ men’s hockey team was also crowned as champions in the Free State championships for the 12th consecutive year. We won against the Central University of Technology in the finals by 9-2. This year our team of champions also succeeded in breaking a medal drought of 30 years in the USSA tournament. We defeated the team from the University of Johannesburg to gain a bronze.

This year, Kovsies was also the only university that managed to win two medals at the USSA hockey tournament and can rightfully claim the title as best tertiary hockey club in the country.

Kovsies’ men’s team: Back, from the left are: Brad Hensberg, Rogan Jones, Mikhail Mannel, Egon van der Merwe, Stanley de Villiers,
Cheslyn Neethling, Michael Baiden, Richard Copley (physio) and Braam van Wyk (coach). Centre, from the left are: Darryl Sutherland,
Ian Finlay, Gerald van Blerk and Dylan Swanepoel (vice-capt). Front, from the left, are: Jaco Fourie, Qhayiya Jack, Berne Burger, Nazo
Mlakalaka, Kurt Hensberg, Lehan Bloemhoff and Ruan Kleinhans.

Kovsies’ women’s team: Back, from the left are: Madie Wessels, Izelle Lategan, Nisa van Zyl, Timon Botha, Jacques du Toit, Beatrix
Wesstdyk, Jacqie Ras, Jo Nelka Swanepoel and Lisa Hawker. Front, from the left are: Nicole Walraven, Tanya Britz, Line Malan (capt),
Minjon van Tonder (vice-capt), Kim Mentor, Inke Wolmarans and Cornelle Botha.

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