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07 March 2024
Photo Lunga Luthuli
Prof Francois Strydom, Senior Director at the Centre for Teaching and Learning and Simphiwe Kunene, the first African DREAM scholar and a master’s student from the Faculty of Education.
The University of the Free State (UFS) received recognition for its commitment to student success at the 2024 Achieving the Dream (ATD) conference which celebrated its 20-year anniversary. Simphiwe Kunene, an Education master's student originally from the Qwaqwa campus, was selected to represent South Africa as the first DREAM scholar from Africa as part of the conference.
The Achieving the Dream network of over 300 institutions, which is one of the largest movements in US higher education aims to transform colleges and universities so that students of colour and a lower socio-economic status are supported to earn a degree. The UFS is a leading partner in the Siyaphumelela Network, which has been working for 10 years with ATD to enhance the success of students in South Africa. Prof Francois Strydom, Senior Director at the Centre of Teaching and Learning (CTL), accepted the award on behalf of the institution.
Prof Strydom said that collaboration with the ATD and Siyaphumelela institutions has helped the UFS to develop cutting-edge approaches to “level the playing field” and support Kovsies to earn their undergraduate degrees.
The first African DREAM scholar
Kunene was selected as the first African DREAM scholar from the Siyaphumelela network. To select the DREAM scholar, each Siyaphumelela partner institution nominated one student as a preferred candidate. From the proposed candidates, the DREAM scholar was selected by the South African Institute for Distance Education (Saide) based on the following: demonstrating resilience, academic excellence, and a deep commitment to making a positive difference in universities and personal communities.
He addressed the conference of over 2 000 delegates and shared with them his hopes and dreams. Many members of the South African delegation said Simphiwe did his country proud. He had the following to say about his opportunity to be a DREAM scholar: “Being a DREAM scholar was life changing for me, exposing me to an array of opportunities I never knew were possible and available for me. It was as if, for a moment, the world had stopped to just listen to what I had to say."
The way forward
The UFS will continue its work as a partner of the Siyaphumelela network for the 2024-2026 cycle. The multi-stakeholder project team is focused on enhancing undergraduate students’ time, and to position the UFS as a thought and research leader in the area of student success as part of Vision 130.
Dr Le Roux a fellow of Africa Science Leadership Programme
2016-02-23
Dr Aliza le Roux
Photo: Hannes Pieterse
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National Research Foundation-rated Y2 scientist, Dr Aliza le Roux, has recently been added to the Africa Science Leadership Programme, an initiative that seeks to create an African network of scientific leaders across disciplinary borders. Her selection to this programme is a reflection of her powerful vision for the continent’s scientific future and sustained scientific excellence.
“It is an honour and an opportunity for me to grow as an academic. This opportunity will also help me build my leadership skills as well as my networks on the continent. It will create a culture of leadership and research that is led by African researchers,’’ Dr Le Roux said.
She added that African researchers have a great potential to solve global problems, yet many of them leave their countries to seek academic success elsewhere. “I hope that the lessons we learn in this programme will pave the way for academia and science to be taken more seriously and practiced more effectively on the continent.”
Together with 21 other fellows from across the continent, Dr Le Roux will be taking part in a week-long workshop in April this year. She is a Senior Lecturer and Subject Head in the Department of Zoology and Entomology on the Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State.