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Dream Walk 2024
UFS welcomes fresh faces as Prof Petersen encourages new students to embrace dreams, achievements, and community in pursuit of academic excellence.

In fostering a profound sense of belonging and preparing for the academic journey ahead, the University of the Free State (UFS) warmly welcomed its new students with the annual first-year welcoming and Dream Walk events. Held on 10 February 2024 for the Bloemfontein and South campuses, and on 17 February 2024 for the Qwaqwa Campus first-time entrants, these events mark the commencement of a transformative academic voyage for the incoming cohort.

The primary objective of these events is to seamlessly integrate newcomers into the vibrant tapestry of the university community, thereby laying a solid foundation for a successful academic journey.

Symbolic journey towards academic dreams

A significant highlight of the day across all the campuses was the Dream Walk, where students, adorned in their vibrant 2024 FTEN T-shirts, embarked on a symbolic journey towards their academic aspirations. 

Cultivating a sense of belonging

Addressing the gathering, Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, extended a warm welcome to the new students, reaffirming the institution's commitment to their holistic development.

"Welcome to the University of the Free State – where your future unfolds," said Prof Petersen. He encouraged students to immerse themselves in the higher education environment and stressed the importance of intellectual enrichment amidst a backdrop of digital distractions.

Prof Petersen urged students to actively participate in various campus activities, public lectures, and discussions, underscoring the significance of the university's Vision 130. This vision sets the ambitious goal of positioning the UFS among the top universities globally by its 130th anniversary in 2034, driving home the message of academic excellence, innovation, and societal impact.

Academic preparedness and aspirations

Emphasising the support structures available at the university, Prof Prakash Naidoo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Operations, welcomed students at the Qwaqwa Campus. He acknowledged the important role that tertiary education plays in shaping individuals' lives, highlighting that a degree not only represents an academic milestone but also equips students with skills and knowledge for personal and professional empowerment beyond the confines of university life.

Joining the festivities, Prof Prince Ngobeni, the newly appointed campus principal, remarked, “‘The welcoming event served as a celebration not only of the arrival of new students but also the potential and accomplishments that they represent.”

Student aspirations and closing remarks

Looking ahead to life as a Kovsie student, Owami Chamane, a Bachelor of Medicine student, expressed aspirations for the highest quality education and access to resources. Stressing the importance of balancing and maintaining focus on goals while enjoying the journey, Chamane encapsulated the spirit of academic ambition and personal growth.

In his closing remarks, Prof Petersen reminded students of their individual responsibility and the profound impact of their actions on their future trajectory. He urged them to be intentional about fostering a positive impact on themselves, their families, the community, and the world at large. 

News Archive

SA must appoint competent judges
2009-05-08

 
At the inaugural lecture are, from the left: Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Acting Rector of the UFS, Judge Farlam and Prof. Johan Henning, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the UFS.

Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Ian Farlam has called on the South African government to appoint and continue to appoint competent, fair and experienced judicial officers to sit in the country’s courts.

He also emphasised the need to have an efficient and highly respected appellate division, which rightly enjoys the confidence of all.

Judge Farlam was speaking at the University of the Free State (UFS) where he delivered his inaugural lecture as Extraordinary Professor in Roman Law, Legal History and Comparative Law in the Faculty of Law.

He said there were important lessons that emanated from the study of legal history in the Free State, particularly including the lesson that there were courageous jurists who spoke up for what they believed to be right, and a legislature who listened and did the right thing when required.

“This is part of our South African heritage which is largely forgotten – even by those whose predecessors were directly responsible for it. It is something which they and the rest of us can remember with pride,” Judge Farlam said.

Addressing the topic, Cox and Constitutionalism: Aspects of Free State Legal History, Judge Farlam used the murder trial of Charles Cox, who was accused of killing his wife and both daughters, to illustrate several key points of legal history.

Cox was eventually found guilty and executed, however, the trial caused a deep rift between the Afrikaans and English speaking communities in the Free State.

Judge Farlam also emphasised that the Free State Constitution embodied the principle of constitutionalism, with the result that the Free State was a state where the Constitution and not the legislature was sovereign. He said it was unfortunate that this valuable principle was eliminated in the Free State after the Boer War and said that it took 94 years before it was reinstated.

Judge Farlam added, “Who knows what suffering and tragedy might not have been avoided if, instead of the Westminster system, which was patently unsuited to South African conditions, we had gone into Union in 1910 with what one can describe as the better Trekker tradition, the tradition of constitutionalism that the wise burghers of the Free State chose in 1854 to take over into their Constitution from what we would call today the constitutional best practice of their time?”

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison 
Tel: 051 401 2584 
Cell: 083 645 2454 
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
8 May 2009
             

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