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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.”
Extension of the academic calendar
2016-03-21
At the Senate meeting which was held on 29 February 2016, a resolution was taken to extend the academic calendar by one week to make up for the lost academic week as a result of the recent student protest action. In particular, it was decided that the commencement of the mid-year exams be postponed by one week. The Faculty of Health Sciences was the only faculty that was allowed to stick to the initial dates.
At its meeting of 2 March 2016, Rectorate discussed this matter and resolved to endorse the resolution of Senate, namely that the mid-year exams will be postponed by one week and that only the Faculty of Health Sciences can stick to the original dates as stipulated in the calendar.
Undergraduate lectures
(Excluding Faculty of Health Sciences)
First semester
Lectures start: 1 February 2016
Lectures end: 20 May 2016
8-credit modules
1 February 2016 - 1 April 2016
11 April 2016 - 20 May 2016
Holiday: 22 - 24 March 2016
Easter Weekend: 25 - 28 March 2016
Main mid-year examinations
Start: 23 May 2016
End: 11 June 2016
Additional mid-year examinations
Start: 13 June 2016
End: 4 July 2016
End of first semester: 8 July 2016
Holiday: 11 July 2016 - 15 July 2016
Second semester
Undergraduate lectures
(Excluding Faculty of Health Sciences)
Lectures start: 18 July 2016
Lectures end: 21 October 2016
8 Credit modules
18 July 2016 - 2 September 2016
5 September 2016 - 21 October 2016
Holiday: 3 - 7 October 2016
Main end-of-year examinations
Starts: 24 October 2016
Ends: 12 November 2016
Additional end-of-year examinations
Starts: 14 November 2016
Ends: 3 December 2016
End of Second Semester
9 December 2016
UFS holiday: 8 August 2016.
UFS recess from: 20 December 2016 - 3 January 2017.