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Prof Marlize Rabe appointed as Vice-Dean of Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of The Humanities

16 May 2024 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Lutendo Mabata

The University of the Free State (UFS) proudly announces the appointment of Prof Marlize Rabe as Vice-Dean of Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of The Humanities. Commencing her tenure on 1 April 2024, Prof Rabe brings a wealth of experience and a vision for advancing pedagogical excellence within the academic community.

Reflecting on her new role, Prof Rabe expressed enthusiasm, stating, “Being part of this esteemed faculty is an exciting prospect. I hope to add value through this appointment by working with lecturers and students on various levels.”

Previously serving as Head of the Sociology Department at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Prof Rabe’s academic journey positions her uniquely to navigate the responsibilities of her new portfolio, drawing from her extensive experience in undergraduate and postgraduate education.

What this new role entails

The scope of Prof Rabe’s role encompasses multifaceted aspects, including management and administration. She elaborates,’’In many instances, this position offers an opportunity to identify common ground and foster collaborations, thus facilitating the growth of all stakeholders involved.” Such collaborations, she emphasises, are pivotal in propelling the faculty towards innovation and pioneering approaches to teaching and learning.

What to expect in the near future

Looking ahead, Prof Rabe outlines forthcoming initiatives aimed at enhancing the academic landscape. Notably, a colloquium scheduled for the second semester will explore the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in assessments, ensuring relevance and accessibility for both educators and students. As it is, a dedicated task team within the faculty is poised to spearhead these transformative endeavours.

Furthermore, Prof Rabe wants to focus on quality assurance in the faculty. ‘’We must be accountable to our students to maintain the highest standards of education,” she asserts, underscoring the imperative of continual evaluation and benchmarking against global best practices.

In celebration of Prof Rabe’s appointment, the University of the Free State extends its warmest congratulations, anticipating a future marked by innovation, collaboration, and academic excellence under her leadership.

News Archive

National 3MT competition held at UFS

2017-03-29

The two winners of the Three minute thesis
competition, Andrew Verrijdt (left) and
Kerryn Warren (right).
Photo: Charl Devenish

From Neanderthal hybrid children to eating corn silk as a way of managing kidney diseases, the National Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT) captivated the mind.

“We brought the competition to South Africa and hosted the local, regional, and national competitions for the past few years,” said Dr Emmie Smit, organiser of the event. It is an opportunity to raise the profile of postgraduate research and to develop a cross-disciplinary student community to effectively communicate research to a wide audience. The event was founded by the University of Queensland, Australia. The third national 3MT competition took place at the University of the Free State (UFS) on Friday 24 March 2017.

Three minutes and one slide
During the competition, participants had three minutes to explain their master’s or doctoral research and one static PowerPoint slide could be used. “It is very important that this slide works for you. There must be some way the information on the slide connects to what you present,” said Dr Henriette van den Berg, Director of the Postgraduate School at the UFS.

Winners grateful for opportunity
“It is an honour and a drive. It is very nice to have this sort of thumbs up,” said Kerryn Warren, winner of the Science category. Her research title was, What did a Human-Neanderthal Child Look Like? “I have been looking at the hybrids between different species and subspecies of mice in order to use them as a model to find out what human hybrids looked like.”

The presentation by Andrew Verrijdt, winner of the Humanities category, entitled Hiding in the Deep: Anonymous Websites for Paedophiles on the ‘Darknet’, gave a glimpse into the mysterious and dangerous realm of the dark web. “I am grateful for the opportunity. Primarily because I think it’s an important topic, and society will benefit by getting the word out there as it is a sensitive topic,” he said. The two winners, both from the University of the Cape Town, won R15 000 each. A further R30 000 of prize money went to the four runners-up.

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