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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.
Faculty of Law converses with international students
2009-08-12
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Pictured here are Emma Finney (left) and Lauren Nydam.
Photo: Stephen Collett |
The Department of Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted two law students completing the practical leg of the Blackstone Legal Fellowship Programme. At this occasion, Lauren Nydam (B.Sc. in Engineering at Duke University School of Law), and Emma Finney (B.A. in History at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law) presented their research.
This annual initiative by the Faculty of Law entails that the students work on a given research topic on legal matters under the supervision of academics, in this case, under the supervision of Prof. Shaun de Freitas, Head of the Department of Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law and Prof. Andries Raath, Senior Professor in this department.
This programme, run by the Alliance Defence Fund (ADF) in the United States of America (USA), is aimed at teaching Christian law students the importance of religious freedom and rights.
This year, the programme (which has been running for 10 years) accommodates 109 students, representing Schools of Law in the USA, including Harvard, Columbia, Pennsylvania, Notre Dame and Virginia. To date, 700 students have completed the programme. Currently there are students of the programme in Canada, England, France, Bulgaria and Italy. |