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Debate series on Broadening Curricula tackles decolonisation in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences

09 June 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi | Photo Tshepo Tsotetsi

Debaters from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences’ 2025 Broadening Curricula Debate.

In an engaging and thought-provoking session, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) at the University of the Free State hosted its Broadening Curricula Faculty Debate Series under the motion: The current Economic and Management Sciences curricula, pedagogical approaches, and research endeavours perpetuate colonial legacies. Held on the Bloemfontein Campus on 3 June 2025, the debate brought together academics and, for the first time, students – making space for dynamic, intergenerational dialogue on the transformation of teaching and learning in higher education.

Creating space for critical pedagogical reflection

Annari Muller, manager of Teaching and Learning Manager in the faculty, said the aim was to provide a platform for constructive, sometimes challenging, engagement. “We create a platform for staff to debate these things and ultimately inform our practice, policy, pedagogy, and what we teach and how we teach,” she said.

For the first time, students were formally included in the debating teams, following feedback from previous events. “It is very important to include student perspectives as well,” Muller noted. “We want to continue these discussions, take them forward into our research practices and learning and teaching committees, where we will dissect them and act on the next step.”

This inclusion added new layers to the debate. Elda Nhalunga responsible for master’s student administration, said the topic immediately resonated with her. “When I saw decolonisation and curriculum in one motion, I found it very interesting and decided that this was something I wanted to be part of. I also wanted to hear what other scholars were saying.” She added: “Through these small initiatives, we are working towards transformation. And it’s important that students be there so that their voices are heard.”

Towards a more inclusive and just Academic Project

Prof Frans Prinsloo, Vice-Dean for Learning and Teaching, Innovation and Digitalisation, believes that debates of this nature play a vital role in shaping inclusive academic spaces. “Debates, such as the one on decolonisation, enable us to engage with and reflect deeply on complex issues and to challenge existing assumptions. Through this process, the faculty can enhance its teaching practices and curriculum development.”

According to Prof Prinsloo, this kind of engagement is just the beginning. “The debate is but the start of the faculty’s plan to ensure that its Academic Project is decolonised. Research is currently in process to gather perceptions of staff and students on the topic. This research will drive action.”

Lukhanyo Lekeno, Economics master’s student, echoed this sentiment, calling the topic timely and essential. “We’re living in a world where there are certain standards and norms that, in most cases, exclude and marginalise people,” he said. “When we start having conversations about decoloniality, we are taking a step closer to actually dismantling certain legacies and ideologies that keep people constrained within a mindset.” Lekeno encouraged others to engage in such conversations, describing it as an ‘exchange of knowledge, systems, and perspectives’, which contributes to both personal growth and academic transformation.

Previous sessions in the series, such as the 2024 debate on socio-environmental sustainability, have prompted internal curriculum reviews, underscoring the faculty’s intention to link dialogue with institutional reflection.

News Archive

Another boost for sport at the UFS

2005-10-13

A contract formalizing the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was signed by Prof Verschoor and Mr Morne du Plessis in the historic Main Building of the UFS Bloemfontein campus.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has officially appointed Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd, which has former Springbok rugby captain Morné du Plessis as managing director, to manage its Centre for Exercise and Sport Science Services (CESSS) on the Bloemfontein campus.

According to Prof Teuns Verschoor, Vice-Rector: Academic Operations, the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is another step in the implementation of the UFS’s wide-ranging sport strategy to improve sport facilities and elevate formerly marginalized sports such as soccer, hockey, netball, tennis etc.

Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is the manager of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa and coordinates and manages the national basketball high-performance programme of SA Basketball, as well as the Boxing Academy on behalf of Boxing South Africa.

“It is also actively involved with the sports plans of several tertiary institutions like that of the University of Johannesburg and the University of Stellenbosch,” said Prof Verschoor.

“Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was also appointed by the Ministry of Sport and Recreation to manage the allocation of sports codes to high-performance centres and to oversee the allocation of monies received from the National Lottery to these centres – this includes the CESSS at the UFS,” Prof Verschoor added.

In unfolding its national sports plan, the Ministry of Sport and Recreation has already identified the UFS-based CESSS as the high-performance testing centre for the national basketball teams whilst the national boxing teams are also earmarked to be trained at the UFS.

“We are glad to be associated with a company of this stature and look forward to work with them in the further development of sports at the UFS,” said Prof Verschoor.

According to Prof Verschoor, the CESSS will act as a centralised body that is responsible for the coordination and management of joint initiatives between professional service providers, research projects and KovsieSport.

“The centre will also coordinate and manage joint initiatives between various academic programmes in different academic subject fields such as sports medicine, bio kinetics, physiotherapy, dietetics, etc. ,” said Prof Verschoor.

These initiatives will help the UFS to become a centre and catalyst of sports development, to become internationally recognised in the field of exercise and sports science research and to become a centre for high quality sports performance enhancement.

Some of the objectives of the CESSS are:

To provide sports science services like to athletes, students, the general public and other stakeholders including certain national sport teams.
To provide the necessary teaching and training facilities and internship opportunities for UFS students in sports related fields of study will also be provided by the centre like human movement science.
To present skills-transfer programmes directed at the broader community like development of skills in various sporting codes.
To continue and extend the current chronic risk reversal programmes presented by the Department of Human Movement Science such as obesity management, cardiac rehabilitation and other lifestyle related conditions.

The centre was founded in 2003 and was until now managed by Dr Louis Holtzhausen, from Kovsie Health and a consultant, Dr Gary Vorster.

A contract formalizing the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was signed today by Prof Verschoor and Mr Morne du Plessis in the historic Main Building of the UFS Bloemfontein campus.

The manager of the centre appointed by Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is Mr Charles Store, an alumnus of the UFS, previously employed at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town and by the SANDF at 3 Military Hospital, Bloemfontein.

Media release
Issued by: Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
072-207-8334
12 October 2005

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