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14 May 2024
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Story ANTHONY MTHEMBU
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Photo Supplied
Contemporary artist Ibrahim Mahama engaging with students during his visit to the Department of Fine Arts at the University of the Free State (UFS).
Ghanaian contemporary artist, Ibrahim Mahama, visited the Department of Fine Arts at the University of the Free State (UFS) to share insights with staff and students during his stay in the country.
Dr Adelheid Von Maltitz, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts at the UFS, highlighted the significance of Mahama’s visit which took place from 21 to 28 March 2024, marking the first instance of such interaction between a Fine Arts department in South Africa and Mahama. She remarked, “It is truly astounding that a person of his calibre dedicated time to focus on our department, and I believe this has catalysed a positive shift within our department.”
Mahama’s impactful presence at UFS
Dr Von Maltitz emphasised that Mahama’s visit aimed to offer staff and students a glimpse into his artistic process and mindset. During his time at the UFS, Mahama, who was virtually overseeing his latest recent large-scale artwork titled Purple Hibiscus, which involved wrapping the Barbican Centre in London, engaged extensively with staff and students from the department about their research. He shared insights into his creative journey, presented select works, and conducted critique sessions with fourth year and postgraduate students, among other activities. Dr Von Maltitz believes this interaction, particularly with students, has significantly bolstered their confidence as aspiring artists, preparing them for professional endeavours.
Broader implications and future prospects
Mahama’s visit not only energised the department’s academic environment but also holds broader implications. Dr Von Maltitz asserted that it will solidify the department’s identity nationally and create avenues for students to pursue residencies in countries like Ghana. Therefore, maintaining a fruitful relationship with Mahama remains a priority for the department.
Reflecting on the visit Dr Von Maltitz concluded, ‘’the key takeaway, especially for the students, was witnessing the potential of their works within the broader South African and international contexts. “
UFS confers honorary doctorate on one of the world’s foremost academics
2012-11-26
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Prof. Martha Nussbaum
Photo: Supplied
26 November 2012
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The University of the Free State (UFS) will confer three honorary doctorates at the Summer graduation ceremony on 6 December 2012. One of the world’s foremost philosophers is among those to be honoured. Prof. Martha Nussbaum, described by The New York Times as “one of the most prominent female philosophers in America”, will be honoured with a D.Litt. degree in the Faculty of Humanities. Judge F.D.J. Brand, a former Constitutional Court judge, and Prof. Otto Walter Prozesky, one of the country’s foremost medical researchers, will also receive honorary doctorates.
Prof. Nussbaum, who has honorary doctorates from 40 colleges and universities in America, Canada, Asia and Europe, is recognised for her intellectual and public contribution to human development. She is the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago and an active member of the American Philosophy Association. Prof. Nussbaum is well-known and respected as a public intellectual and is considered to be one of the most prominent philosophers in the world.
Prof. Prozesky is to be honoured for the important role that he played in the field of medical research, especially as the President of the Medical Research Council and as researcher/educator in the field of virology and HIV/Aids. He is to receive an honorary degree in Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Judge Brand, Extraordinary Professor in Private Law in the Faculty of Law at the UFS, is to receive a Doctor Legum degree in recognition of his considerable contribution to the legal science. More than 120 of his judgments are reported in South African legal reports. A review of recent South African legal journals (over the past five years) shows that reference is made to his judgments in at least 30 articles and case discussions.
The Summer graduation ceremony will be held in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus and will take place in two ceremonies. At 10:15, master’s degrees and doctorates will be awarded, and at 15:15 qualifications will be awarded in a combined graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the School of Open Learning.
- Prof. Martha Nussbaum will lead a conversation with members of the public and the campus community on 7 December 2012. On 8 December 2012, she is the main speaker at the UFS’s conference on “Engaging the Other: Empathy and Breaking Transgenerational Cycles of Repetition” on the Bloemfontein Campus.