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UFS Language Policy is now available in four languages

13 June 2024 | Story Edzani Nephalela | Photo Supplied

Dr Nomalungelo Ngubane, the Director of the Academy for Multilingualism, is at the forefront of this initiative, championing diversity and inclusiveness for all stakeholders at the University of the Free State.

Diversity in higher education institutions enriches the learning environment, fostering a culture of inclusion and mutual respect. It broadens perspectives, encourages critical thinking, and prepares students for a global workforce by supporting equitable access to opportunities and enhancing all students' personal growth and academic excellence.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has marked a significant milestone in its commitment to linguistic diversity with the official translation of its Language Policy into three additional languages: Sesotho, Afrikaans, and isiZulu. Previously only available in English, the translation of the policy – approved by the University Council in November 2023 – into these languages reflects the university's dedication to inclusivity and recognition of its diverse community.

The collaboration between the Academy for Multilingualism and the Institutional Regulatory Code was instrumental in a groundbreaking initiative: making the Language Policy accessible to speakers of African languages. Spearheaded by the Academy for Multilingualism, this endeavour involved a thorough translation, formatting, and proofreading process.

Dr Nomalungelo Ngubane, Director of the Academy for Multilingualism, emphasised that the availability of the Language Policy in multiple languages is not merely symbolic, but underscores the UFS' values of respect, human dignity, and social justice, as outlined in its Vision130. “This initiative aligns with the university's overarching goal of fostering an environment where all languages are valued and respected. We also hope that the Language Policy will not just be written in different languages but will strengthen the implementation of the policy in various domains of the university to achieve its objectives.

She further explains that the translation project is expected to have far-reaching impacts on how policies are communicated and understood within the university, because it enhances the ability of students, staff, and stakeholders to participate more fully in university life, contributing to a more cohesive and integrated community.

This initiative is a testament to the UFS' commitment to embracing and celebrating linguistic diversity as a fundamental aspect of its identity and operations.

News Archive

Award-winning photographer exhibits ravages of war, 25 May 2016 until 17 June 2016

2016-06-02

Description: Unsettled exibition Tags: Unsettled exibition

The ruins of the Dimbaza Border Industrial Park built
in the 1970s as a source of cheap labour for industrialists
and ostensible employment for Ciskei Homeland citizens.
This industrial zone collapsed after 1994.
Photo: Images courtesy of the Galerie Seippel.
All images © Cedric Nunn

Cedric Nunn’s latest photographic exhibition, Unsettled: One Hundred Years War of Resistance by Xhosa Against Boer and British, opened on 25 May 2016 at the Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery of University of the Free State, and will run until 17 June 2016. Since 2014, the exhibition has travelled through South Africa and the USA as well as Germany.

The photographer, documentary film-maker, and artist’s photographic journey was launched in the early 1980s in Durban. In 2011, he won the first FNB Joburg Art Fair Award.

Narratives of the victors and the vanquished
Unsettled deals with the nine wars that Xhosa people were subjected to between 1779 and 1879 in their fight against Afrikaner and British colonial settler forces. Nunn’s art seeks to instigate social change, and highlight lesser-seen aspects of society.

The work emanated from his awareness of a notable gap in the telling of this piece of South African history, as well as the fact that, to date, little has been done to memorialise these acts of colonial aggression and Xhosa resistance. He decided to document the land where these struggles took place.

“Through revisiting this painful past in the contemporary scenes of today, this work attempts to place the present in its factual context of dispossession and conquest,” said Nunn.

Unsettled forms the first component of what will be a trilogy. The next component will address the legacy of colonial dispossession through “bringing ‘the first inhabitants’ back into the picture by giving a select number of self-describing Khoi, Griqua, and San or Bushmen a contemporary face and presence”. The final component will look at slavery.

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