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12 January 2024
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Story Nonsindiswe Qwabe
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Photo Sonia Small
Since joining the UFS in 2008, Dr Grey Magaiza has worked extensively on approaches that can foster the socio-economic transformation of societies.
“The future should be one where communities can decide on their development agenda and futures. That’s the most important for me.” Dr Grey Magaiza, Deputy Director of the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies (CGAS) and Head of the Community Development programme on the Qwaqwa Campus, is passionate about capacitating communities to be agents of change and advancement. His vision for the future emphasises the empowerment of communities to take charge of their development by actively participating in decision making and the implementation of development projects that can improve their lives.
Since joining the UFS in 2008, Dr Magaiza has worked extensively on approaches that can foster the socio-economic transformation of societies. Over the years, he has crafted his research speciality into one that he is most proud of – being an interdisciplinary scientist immersed in the development of communities.
“I’m in a fortunate position of researching what I like. I say ‘fortunate’, because I’ve taken the time to understand what I’m passionate about, which is the overall field of rural livelihoods and livelihood futures – in short, community development. My research starts from an engaged university, understanding the elements that a university must use to enhance transformation and relevance to its immediate community in terms of development.”
One of the ways he has done this is by looking at social entrepreneurship as a development approach for young people in a rural setting. Through workshops with non-profit and civic organisations in Qwaqwa, Dr Magaiza has been helping these organisations to map out their needs and actively meet them through the involvement and support of external role players.
“We understand that communities are part of the national development agenda, but even that national agenda respects community knowledge and intentions and allows communities to shape their identity. A critical enabler of this is community organising. You bring back the capacity in communities to have dialogues on issues affecting them as spaces for engagement, knowledge exchange, and for people to just talk about their way forward.”
By enabling communities to define their development agenda, they can address their specific needs, challenges, and aspirations, he said. “When I look at livelihood futures, it’s quite an exciting aspect of my work – it’s like looking into a fortune tellers’ globe, because you’re not deciding for communities what they should do, but the communities themselves take those decisions.”
Council approves appointment of two deans
2008-06-14
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The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) approved the extension of the contract of Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences for a further five years during its recent meeting. The appointment of Prof. Francois Tolmie as acting Dean of the Faculty of Theology was also approved.
Prof. Tolmie will be acting as Dean as from 1 July 2008 and will be appointed as dean on 1 January 2009 for a term of five years. He is appointed in the place of Prof. Hermie van Zyl who will be retiring at the end of June 2008.
The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences has reached many highlights under Prof. Van Schalkwyk’s leadership. It has grown to an influential faculty, known for its world-class academic quality and research and the successful preparation of students for their careers in the sciences.
Before his appointment as dean, Prof. Van Schalkwyk was chairperson of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the UFS. He serves on the executive committee of the UFS’s Executive Management and is chairperson of the Deans Committee. Over and above his work at the UFS, he is involved in various provincial and national organisations.
He was among others appointed by the Minister of Agriculture in 2007 as member of the National Agricultural Marketing Council and in 2008 he was appointed vice-chairperson of the Land Bank Council. He is also a consultant to the World Bank and other South African organisations, a specialist in agricultural and related court cases and popular speaker at agricultural societies in South Africa and Namibia, to name a few.
Prof. Tolmie was a Senior Professor in the Department New Testament at the UFS. He is member of various national and international organisations and academic committees, among others editor of Acta Theologica, the faculty’s accredited journal.
During his term as Dean, Prof. Tolmie aims to establish meaningful liaison with international universities, increase the faculty’s average research output and increase the current number of academics from the faculty who are graded by the National Research Foundation (NRF).
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
13 June 2008
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| Prof. Francois Tolmie |
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| Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk |