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25 March 2024
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Story Anthony Mthembu
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Photo Lutendo Mabata
Prof Nompumelelo Zondi, the newly appointed Vice-Dean: Research and Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of The Humanities at the University of the Free State (UFS).
Prof Nompumelelo Zondi has been appointed as Vice-Dean: Research and Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of The Humanities at the University of the Free State (UFS). Prof Zondi assumed this new role on 1 March 2024 after serving as the Head of Department for African Languages at the University of Pretoria for seven years. “I consider this appointment as an opportunity of growth and learning more about higher education and the Faculty of The Humanities at large,” she said.
Prof Zondi indicates that part of her role is to spearhead the UFS Vision130 within the Faculty of The Humanities, and to ensure that the faculty assists the institution in becoming research-led, student-centred, and globally impactful.
Motivation for assuming this role
One of the primary reasons that led her to consider this role is sharing the knowledge she acquired as part of the Fulbright South African Research Scholar Programme. As a result of that experience and exposure, which went beyond the Ohio State University, she felt it befitting to implement some of the insights she acquired on a bigger scale. Therefore, even though she was impactful in her previous role, Prof Zondi believes that this is an exceptional and more desirable platform to do so. “I feel that I will have easier access to departments within the faculty, while also encouraging and supporting interdepartmental and faculty collaborations,” she explained.
A significant component of Vision 130
He believes that the elements that make up Vision 130 are interrelated. While she considers research central to Vision 130 – as she begins her journey at the UFS, she feels students deserve to be nurtured to further contribute to the university’s impactful research. Thus, student-centredness is the way to go. “I believe that students must be major role players in this Vision130; we must include them in the interactions and discussions that are part of the university’s strategic plan as well as in decision-making processes,” she said. As such, according to Prof Zondi, the more the faculty and the institution care for the students and involve them in Vision130 and in collaborations, the more research outputs the university will achieve.
Teachers from America attend SAFEFE conference
2009-08-07
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At the conference were, from the left: Ms Zandile Gxwati, Director: General Education and Training, Free State Department of Education, Prof. Klopper Oosthuizen, Director of SAFEFE and associated with the Department of Agricultural Economics at the UFS, Prof. John Brock, Director: Centre for Economic Education, University of Colorado, USA and Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, UFS.
Photo: Lacea Loader |
A delegation of 12 teachers from 12 different states in the United States of America (USA) visited Bloemfontein this week to attend a conference at Bain’s Game Lodge presented by the University of the Free State’s (UFS) South African Foundation for Economic and Financial Education (SAFEFE). Amongst others, the conference aimed to inform the teachers about education in the province and the importance of the ongoing involvement of universities in the R-12 school system. The conference was also attended by representatives from the Free State Department of Education.
The group of teachers form part of a larger delegation of 28 teachers from the USA who are currently visiting South Africa. The delegation is part of the Council for Economic Education (CEE) in the USA’s Economics International Programme that is presented at the UFS in cooperation with SAFEFE. The teachers are visiting several schools in the country to gain experience about the South African school system.