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31 May 2024 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Matome Mokoena
Global Citizenship
Distinguished speakers and scholars gathered at the University of the Free State to discuss global citizenship and the transformative role of African higher education in celebration of Africa Day.

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted a compelling event at its Bloemfontein Campus in celebration of Africa Day. Under the theme “World Citizenship and African Higher Education: Preparing Students for a Connected World”, the gathering, organised by the Office for International Affairs, brought together distinguished speakers and scholars to explore the significance of Africa Day and the pivotal role of African institutions of higher learning in shaping a global mindset.

In his opening address, Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, emphasised the importance of commemorating Africa Day as a means to honour the continent's history, celebrate its diversity, and reaffirm commitments to unity, peace, and progress in Africa. “Events of this nature remind us that Africa is rising and increasingly claiming its rightful place as a thought and leadership influencer in the global community of nations. How we, as the UFS, embrace this as an opportunity for innovation and impact is of critical importance to our institutional vision, which we call Vision 130, setting out our collective intent to the year 2034, when the university will mark the 130th anniversary of its founding,” he added.

Addressing inequality and colonial legacies

A panel discussion featuring prominent speakers delved into critical issues affecting African society and higher education. Advocate Thando Gumede, a respected human rights and feminist activist, passionately advocated for substantive equality and the dismantling of systemic barriers to empower black women in society, with a particular focus on academic institutions. Gumede emphasised the persistent issues facing African women and girls, particularly black women, in the economy and leadership roles. “It’s now 2024, and yet a black government has purposefully and intentionally failed to meaningfully address the laws, systems, and colonial ideologies that ultimately led to the socioeconomic and political paralysis and violation of African women and girls today, especially black women within the economy and roles of leadership,” she asserted.

She further elaborated on the metaphor of tiptoeing around a house, symbolising the cautious and ineffective efforts to address these deep-seated issues. Advocate Gumede’s call to action was clear: "We have been tiptoeing in this house for 30 years, not wanting to bump the nice transparent vases around the house. We have been silently tiptoeing around this house so as to not wake up the masters. We have been unable to breathe in this house because we have been giving excessive amounts of oxygen to those who don't need it as much as we do. And so, what I'm trying to say is that unless we are willing to tear the entire house down and smash the foundation that it once stood on, there ain’t nothing going to change. Folks, we need to destroy the house and go build something new somewhere else."

Decolonising academic discourse and promoting inclusivity

Other panelists included Prof Itumeleng Mosala, an academic specialising in theology and religious studies, who passionately highlighted the need to decolonise theological discourse and challenge Eurocentric narratives for a more inclusive academic environment. Additionally, Prof Vasu Reddy, Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation of the UFS, stressed the value of embracing diverse perspectives and knowledge systems to cultivate critical thinking and intercultural understanding among students.

Promoting social justice through higher education

Dr Phethiwe Matutu, CEO of Universities South Africa (USAf), spoke about the pivotal role of higher education institutions in promoting social justice through global engagement and addressing historical injustices to build a more equitable society. “Success in higher education hinges on multiple components, including access, resources, and the integration of indigenous knowledge systems. Embracing indigenous knowledge is vital not only for cultural affirmation but also for global advancement, with numerous universities and organisations making significant strides in this area.”

“Pedagogies that promote social justice, such as peer learning and reflective teaching, are essential. These methods validate students' knowledge and encourage comprehensive learning. The Ubuntu pedagogy, which emphasises care, collaboration, and language, is particularly affirming and relevant in advancing education,” she added.

Towards equity and renewal

Three recommendations were proposed for consideration: undoing the residue of colonial leadership ethos, leveraging African knowledge systems in education, and continuously questioning and reflecting on practices to ensure alignment with values and genuine progress.As the event concluded, Prof Petersen urged attendees to reflect on the insights shared and consider their roles in driving positive change within their communities and institutions. The UFS Africa Day event served as a platform for robust discourse on advancing global citizenship and African higher education, reaffirming the institution's commitment to excellence, inclusivity, and the pursuit of knowledge for societal transformation.

News Archive

UFS takes lead in improving quality of training in economics in schools
2006-06-20

The fourth international workshop for trainers in the National Council on Economic Education’s (NCEE) outreach programme for Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East will be presented in Bloemfontein from 18-24 June 2006.

 “Because of the rapid success we achieved in the Free State with similar workshops in Economics education that were presented by the NCEE the past year, we have now invited representatives from education departments and universities of five other provinces to attend the international workshop for trainers,” said Prof Klopper Oosthuizen, lecturer at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Agricultural Economics and initiator of the cooperative agreement with the NCEE.

 The UFS and the Free State Department of Education are the NCEE’s first partners in Africa who received this training.  “The attendance of the five provinces and universities is the first step in the extension of the programme to the rest of the country,” said Prof Oosthuizen. 

 The NCEE is based in the United States of America (USA) and the workshop forms part of the council’s effort to improve the quality of the training of Economics teachers and lecturers across the world. 

 “South Africa is urgently in need of efforts to improve the integration of black people into the market economy.  An understanding of how markets work is one of the pillars of democracy.  Equipping young people with economic understanding and skills will help empower them for responsible roles as individuals and citizens,” said Prof Oosthuizen.

 According to Prof Oosthuizen representatives from the education departments of the Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and North West will also be attending the international workshop for trainers.  Representatives from the Universities of Rhodes, of KwaZulu-Natal, North West and the Durban University of Technology as well as the Cape Peninsula University of Technology will also attend the workshop.

 During this workshop teachers and lecturers in Economics will receive certificates. 

 Various subjects will be covered during the workshop such as world trade patterns, cost and benefits of free trade, exchange rates and international finance.  The training will be done by representatives from the NCEE by using methods such as direct instruction and role play.

 The NCEE is also in the process of training teachers and learning facilitators in the Free State in an effort to improve the quality of Economics classes in secondary schools. 

 “A group of 84 teachers and learning facilitators were trained in December 2005, 50 were trained in January 2006 and the last group of 40 will be trained at the UFS Main Campus in Bloemfontein from 26 June - 1 July 2006,” said Prof Oosthuizen.

 During this seminar the teachers will be trained in issues such as broad social goals in an economy, economic decision making, government’s role in a market economy and fiscal policy.  The training will also be done by representatives from the NCEE.

 The NCEE has been working together with international partners since 1992 to strengthen their Economics teaching systems.  They have already succeeded in increasing literacy in Economics at schools in the USA and more than 20 East Block countries.  More than 1,5 million learners in the East Block countries have already been served by this initiative.  Since 2004 the NCEE’s focus has moved away from the East Block countries to Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

 “Our future plans include strengthening the growing partnership between the UFS, the Free State Department of Education and the NCEE.  We also want to establish a council and centres for economic education which will serve as an umbrella for our joint efforts,” said Prof Oosthuizen.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za 
20 June 2006

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