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UFS and the University of Zambia launch transformative student delegation visit

20 November 2024 | Story Zinzi Zumana | Photo Supplied

UFS X Zambia 2024 — UFS and UNZA delegates engaged in a vibrant cultural exchange in Lusaka, Zambia, marking the beginning of a transformative partnership focused on student success, student well-being, and social justice.

The University of the Free State (UFS) and the University of Zambia (UNZA) have embarked on an inspiring international collaboration, with a delegation from the UFS touching down in Lusaka for a week of cross-cultural exchange and educational advancement. This visit – led by the Executive Director of Student Affairs at the UFS, Temba Hlasho – ran from 11 to15 November 2024 and brought together a select group of students and staff to engage in a transformative exchange aimed at strengthening the bonds between these two esteemed institutions.

At the heart of the UFS-UNZA partnership is a shared commitment to holistic student development and social justice. Both institutions seek to cultivate globally minded graduates who are ready to tackle regional and international challenges. The UFS has strategically aligned with UNZA in pursuit of these goals, recognising their compatible institutional visions and their mutual focus on student success, innovation, and building sustainable communities.

In its Strategic Plan for 2027, UNZA emphasises goals of excellence in teaching, research, community service, and digital innovation, while the UFS Vision 130 underscores a dedication to fostering holistic student success. Together, the two institutions are driving forward a vision that merges academic excellence with social responsibility and well-being.

The choice of Zambia as a partner is not accidental. With a deep history of solidarity dating back to the 1980s, South Africa and Zambia share a longstanding cultural connection, now improved by this educational partnership. This visit is rooted in the shared mission to empower the next generation, reinforcing both countries’ commitment to inclusive, thriving educational environments where young people can flourish.

The UFS delegation set out to accomplish several impactful objectives during their time at UNZA, including global collaboration and knowledge exchange, student support and wellness initiatives, commitment to social justice and community engagement, as well as leadership development and academic excellence.

This visit marks the beginning of an exploratory and reciprocal partnership that will extend well beyond the week. Moving forward, the UFS and UNZA will engage in sustained dialogue and collaborative projects across a range of student support initiatives, ensuring that each institution can evolve with new insights and strategies.

As the delegation visit unfolded, both the UFS and UNZA celebrated the dawn of a transformative partnership that bridges borders, unites cultures, and advances a shared vision for student success and social impact. This collaboration is poised to empower students with the skills and perspectives necessary to become leaders in their communities and on the global stage.

Together, the UFS and UNZA are setting a powerful example of international academic partnership, one that promises to foster impactful and lasting change for students, faculty, and the broader society.

News Archive

During 2011: Infrastructure at the UFS

2011-12-01

Video clips:

Health Sciences Building
Clinical Skills Centre
Economic Sciences and Lecture Hall Building
Teacher Education Building
Biotechnology Building

A publication in which the infrastructure developments at the UFS are portrayed, was published this year. This publication celebrates the enormous development projects undertaken.

Constructive change (part 1)	Constructive change (part 2)	Constructive change (part 3)

Much has been done this past year to improve the infrastructure of our Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses with several buildings being built, some renovated and improvements made. Attention was specifically given to the growing need for lecture hall facilities and office space.

Some of the developments on our Bloemfontein Campus include: a brand-new entrance in Nelson Mandela Drive; a Memorial for Women and a Botanical Garden; a building for teacher education opposite the UFS Sasol Library; a building for our Faculty of Health Sciences opposite the Francois Retief Building; a Clinical Skills Centre for Allied Health Professions (the first in the country); and a building for our Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences between the Flippie Groenewoud Building and Wynand Mouton Theatre.

On our Qwaqwa Campus a building for teacher education is being constructed and some of the laboratories were refurbished and upgraded. More student accommodation is also well underway. A village development of four housing units that will accommodate 1000 students will be constructed on our Bloemfontein Campus.
Renovations and extensions were also made to some of the existing buildings such as the Architecture Building, the Biotechnology Building, the Department of Chemistry, the Stef Coetzee Building, the foyer of the Odeion, the Wynand Mouton Theatre and the Callie Human Centre. A staff restaurant has also been established on the Bloemfontein Campus and the building of ‘Little Professors’, a nursery school, is well underway.
“A building not only signals value to the outside; it also builds value on the inside. That is why it is important to notice how space has been organised and allocated to enhance the building of a community and to give academics, students and communities a sense of belonging to the university,” says Prof. Jonathan Jansen, our Vice-Chancellor and Rector.

The funding for most of the projects was made possible with an infrastructural grant from the Department of Education and Training.

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