Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
03 May 2024 | Story Precious Shamase | Photo Supplied
Human Rights Dialogue
From left Royal house representative Morena Ernest Moloi from Makholokoeng Royal House , Lecholo Nkabiti from the South African Human Rights Commission, Prof Sethulego Matebesi from the Department of Sociology, Zoleka Dotwana, Director of Student Affairs , Gcina Mtengwana program Director for the day and also a lecturer , Ayanda Madiba SRC , Campus Principal Prof Prince Ngobeni and Siyanda Magayana from the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office.

On 25 April 2024, the University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus held a Round-table Dialogue on Human Rights in collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs, Residence Life, and Human Rights Ambassadors. This event aimed to educate students about their human rights and empower them to stand up for themselves.

The Mopeli, Bakoena, and Batlokwa Royal houses all showed their support by attending the dialogue, emphasised the importance of open discussion in her welcome address. "We want people to share views and engage so that we learn from each other about human rights," Dotwana said.

The dialogue, held at the Kutlwano Gazelle (SHU-7), provided a platform for open discussion about human rights. This discussion is crucial to ensure that students understand their rights and feel equipped to advocate for themselves. The event also aimed to raise awareness about lesser-known rights to prevent students from unknowingly surrendering their power to others.

The round-table discussion included Campus Principal Prof Prince Ngobeni, Prof Sethulego Matebesi from the Department of Sociology, Lecholo Nkabiti from the South African Human Rights Commission, and Siyanda Magayana from the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office.

Prof Ngobeni spoke about the access to education that students now have in South Africa's democracy, and the government's efforts to ensure this access. He also highlighted the importance of royal leadership, indigenous practices in leading communities, and incorporating these practices to move forward as a country. Additionally, he mentioned the importance of including agriculture in future plans to create more employment opportunities.

Prof Matebesi urged the audience to reflect on the legacy they are leaving behind. "What legacy are we leaving?" he questioned. "We won't live forever, and there will come a time when we can't reflect on these issues."

Lecholo Ntabiti emphasised the importance of pursuing rights and accessing freedoms within a legal framework. "Freedom comes with responsibility," he stressed. "Go vote on 29 May 29 so your voice can be heard in this democracy."

This initiative demonstrates the UFS Qwaqwa Campus' commitment to fostering a well-informed and empowered student body regarding their human rights. The event coincided with South Africa's Freedom Day and the upcoming national elections in May. The dialogue addressed various human rights topics, including economic freedom and freedom of speech.

The engaging round table concluded with a lively question-and-answer session, ensuring that students left the event informed and equipped to advocate for their rights, marking a significant step towards a more empowered student generation on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus.

News Archive

Prof Laura Mulvey – intellectual path-breaker in international film industry
2014-07-10

Prof Laura Mulvey – currently a professor at Film and Media Studies at Birkbeck, University of London, recently visited the Bloemfontein Campus. As a tribute to her achievements, the UFS bestowed an Honorary Doctorate on her during our 2014 Winter Graduation Ceremony. In addition, two events were scheduled during which the public could get to know Prof Mulvey and her films better.

Prof Mulvey is a hugely influential figure in the international arena of film and visual media. She is globally recognised as an eminent feminist film scholar and worked at the British Film Institute for many years. During the 1970s and ‘80s she exploded onto the scene as a prominent avant-garde filmmaker.

During her visit, she joined Prof Annie van den Oever (University of Groningen) in two discussions of films – which included some of her most renowned film material.

Under the Skin of the City (Iran, 2001), directed by Rakhshan Bani-E'temad, was screened in full on Thursday 3 July 2014. The film centres on the trials and tribulations faced by an Iranian family. This award-winning film resonated with the South Africans present because of the social issues it addresses. A thought-provoking discussion followed between Profs Mulvey, Van den Oever and the audience – delving deeper into the mechanisms of the film.

On Saturday 5 July 2014, Prof Van den Oever and Prof Mulvey had another discussion – this time round the audience was treated to snippets from Prof Mulvey’s prominent films.

Her work has impacted the cultural and social sciences and not only does her critical analysis scrutinise issues of gender, but also that of race and ethnicity.

Described as ‘a key intellectual path-breaker’, Prof Mulvey’s visit left a trail of inspiration throughout our Kovsie community.

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept