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UFS welcomes 2025’s new student cohort at two campuses

20 February 2025 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Kaleidoscope

Dream Walk 2025 — First-year students celebrate the start of their academic journey at the University of the Free State (UFS) during the 2025 FTEN Welcoming event.

The University of the Free State (UFS) officially welcomed its 2025 cohort of first-time entering students (FTENs) at ceremonies held at its Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses on Saturday 15 February.

The events marked the culmination of the university’s FTEN Welcoming and Orientation Programme, which began with a Parents Information Session in December 2024.

The Institutional VC Welcoming and Dream Walk ceremonies at the Qwaqwa and Bloemfontein Campuses were attended by Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS; Prof Prince Ngobeni, Qwaqwa Campus Principal; the UFS’s executive and academic leadership; and members of the Student Representative Council (SRC) alongside the vibrant class of 2025.

The FTENs participated in a series of activities, including dance challenges that could win them prizes. “I felt overjoyed, and I also felt welcomed,” said first-year BCom Accounting student Omphile Khomari. “The entire experience was enlightening in a lot of aspects as far as the UFS is concerned.”

Words of wisdom

Gerben van Niekerk, Head of Student Experience at the UFS and host of the ceremony at the Bloemfontein Campus, encouraged the students to reflect on the significance of this moment. “See the sacrifices you’ve made to be a part of this community, see the late-night study sessions, feel the determination that fuelled your efforts, and acknowledge the strength that resides in you,” he said. Van Niekerk also encouraged the students to envision the type of people they want to become as part of the UFS community.

The first-time experience for the new students was also a first for Prof Klopper, who became the UFS’s new Vice-Chancellor from 1 February. In her speech at both events she highlighted that the ceremony was a special moment for both her and the students. “I want to congratulate all of you, because by choosing the University of the Free State for your higher education studies, you have joined the winning team,” she added.

Prof Klopper encouraged students to work hard and persevere through all the challenges of university studies and urged them to follow three key steps to ensure their personal success: take advantage of the opportunities provided by the UFS beyond the lecture halls, such as the university’s cultural and sporting offerings; lean on the UFS support structures such as the Student Counselling and Development Office (SCD) and the Food Environment Office; and embrace and embody the UFS values contained in the university’s Vision 130 strategic plan, including ‘excellence’, ‘innovation and impact’, ‘accountability’, ‘care’, ‘social justice’, and ‘sustainability’.

Prof Ngobeni echoed the Vice-Chancellor’s sentiments in a heartfelt address in which he also urged students to make use of the support structures available on campus.

At the end of the ceremonies, students wrote their dreams and aspirations for their time at the UFS on dream cards.

The students at the Bloemfontein Campus hung their cards on railings along the way, as they took part in the UFS’s iconic ‘Dream Walk’ tradition, in which the new students and the university leadership walk together from the Callie Human Centre to the Main Building. Students at the Qwaqwa Campus handed their cards in as they walked from the Mandela Hall to the sports field. These walks symbolise the beginning of the FTENs’ journeys at the UFS. “I’m really looking forward to learning new things, meeting new people and having fun as a member of this community,” said first-year BCom Accounting student Enzo Ernest.

News Archive

Her mission: Looking for viruses

2017-10-03

Prof Felicity Burt delivering her inaugural lecture,
Catching a Virus
Photo: Stephen Collett

“Preparing and presenting an inaugural lecture is an opportunity to look back at one’s career and to enjoy previous highlights and achievements; to share these, not only with colleagues, but also with family and friends.”

This is according to Prof Felicity Burt, who recently presented her inaugural lecture, Catching a Virus. Prof Burt is a professor in medical virology in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS). It may sound ominous, but it is a story about identifying viruses, and finding and stopping them in their tracks in nature.

Research focus on arbo- and zoonotic viruses
“My research focuses on arboviruses and zoonotic viruses,” said Prof Burt. “Arboviruses are viruses that are transmitted by insect vectors, such as mosquitoes, ticks, midges or sandflies, whereas zoonotic viruses are naturally transmitted from animals to humans. However, there is a considerable overlap between these two groups.” The research looks at host responses, virus discovery and surveillance in order to identify which of the viruses in circulation have the potential to cause human diseases.

“Emerging and re-emerging viruses have significant implications for public health,” said Prof Burt at the start of her lecture. She also stated that there have been disease outbreaks of unprecedented magnitude, which have spread and established in distinct geographic regions. “Many of these emerging viruses are transmitted by vectors or are spread to humans from animals. These viruses can cause significant diseases in humans,” said Prof Burt.

There are many reasons why these viruses re-emerge, such as global warming, human invasion in forested areas, changes in agricultural practices, international travel, as well as the illegal movement of animals. Prof Burt used the Zika virus as an example of a recent emerging virus.

More than 20 years’ experience
With more than 20 years’ experience and a PhD in medical virology from the University of the Witwatersrand, Prof Burt is a renowned specialist. She has worked in the Special Pathogens Unit at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, and was a member of various teams responding to outbreaks of Ebola and Rift Valley fever in Africa and Saudi Arabia, respectively. She is co-author of more than 51 articles in international scientific journals, as well as six chapters on arboviruses. In 2016, she was awarded a SARChl research chair by the South African Research Chair Initiative for her research on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases.

Click here to read the full lecture.

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