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13 May 2024 | Story Carmenita Redcliffe-Paul
Global Citizen

The University of the Free State (UFS) and the South African Chamber of Commerce United Kingdom (SACC UK) are pleased to present a Global Citizen Series conversation, Exploring Scenarios: South Africa’s Democracy in the face of the next general elections, from the perspective of Clem Sunter, international best-selling author, futurologist, and scenario planner. 

As part of the Global Citizen Webinar Series, international scenario planner and futurologist, Clem Sunter, will join UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Francis Petersen, and SACC UK Chairperson, Sharon Constançon, for a conversation that answers the question – What does the future hold for South Africa’s democracy in the face of the upcoming general elections?

Thirty years ago, the majority of South Africans won the right to vote for the first time, leading to South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. Join us for a conversation on 20 May 2024 as we explore scenarios depicted by Clem Sunter ahead of South Africa’s seventh general elections scheduled for 29 May 2024.

Join the Global conversation for Global Citizens

Date:  Monday, 20 May 2024
SA time: 15:00-16:00 / UK time: 14:00-15:00
The livestream link will be shared with those who RSVP
Enquiries: Tebello Leputla - leputlatb@ufs.ac.za +27 51 401 9199

About Clem Sunter

Clem Sunter, born in Suffolk England on 8 August 1944, gained his education at Winchester College. Before joining Charter Consolidated as a management trainee in 1966, he went to Oxford where he read politics, philosophy, and economics.

He moved to Lusaka in Zambia to work for the Anglo-American Corporation Central Africa in 1971. He then transferred to the head office of the Anglo-American Corporation of South Africa in Johannesburg in 1973. He spent most of his succeeding career in the Gold and Uranium Division, where he served as chairman and CEO from 1990 to 1996. During this time, Anglo-American was the largest producer of gold in the world. Until recently he was chairman of the Anglo-American Chairman’s Fund, which was – as stated in a recent survey – the primary corporate social responsibility fund in South Africa. Read more about Clem Sunter.

News Archive

CD-ROM for learning Afrikaans as foreign language launched
2009-04-30

 
At the launch of the CD-Rom, Gesellig Afrikaans, are from the left: Ms Riana de Beer, Research Assistant at the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French, Mr Christo Steyn from Bare Creative who did the digitalisation of the CD-ROM, Prof. Van Niekerk, Prof. Engela Pretorius, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities, Prof. Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Academic Planning, and Mr François Marais, Director of the Centre for Higher Education Studies and Development at the UFS.
Photo: Lacea Loader
The Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently launched a CD-ROM course to learn Afrikaans as foreign language at the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

For the past ten years the Department has been offering a course in Afrikaans as foreign language to small groups at the UFS. “However, the need for this course has escalated to such an extent on the Main and Qwaqwa Campuses of the UFS that we have decided to produce the CD-ROM. We have also found that not a lot of courses to learn Afrikaans were available. Those that do exist, do not recognise the needs of adult learners,” said Prof. Angelique van Niekerk from the Department.

“International students are often interested in learning new cultures and languages and staff members would also like to learn Afrikaans in order to understand the language better. Now they are able to master the basic principles and concepts of the language,” said Prof. Van Niekerk.

The course, which will be presented on the Main Campus, comprises a basic and an advanced course. Course attendants will receive both these CD-ROMs. English is used as the back-up language and translations of all the texts are available on the CD. Contemporary Afrikaans music is used to assist in fixing sound patterns, and the pronunciation of Afrikaans sounds, words and sentences is available through the sound component of the course. Uncomplicated language jokes, advertisement texts and cartoons are used to enhance the course content and a vocabulary list and list of idiomatic language uses will be kept updated by the learners. Explanations of basic grammatical constructions are given in both Afrikaans and English and learners are assessed at the end of the course. Aspects like word order, temporal indications, etc. are covered amongst other things.

“Mastering a foreign language is time-consuming and contact with the language is very important. Although there is a contact session with a facilitator of two hours per week, it is a handy course for people who cannot attend classes regularly,” said Prof. Van Niekerk.

The CD-ROM is available from at Prof. Angelique van Niekerk, vnieka.hum@ufs.ac.za, Tel. no. 051-4012339, at R150 per CD.


Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
28 April 2009

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