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UFS Thought-Leader series sparks national dialogue on employability and sustainability in higher education

18 June 2025 | Story Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios

Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, will facilitate the UFS Thought-Leader Series discussion titled Reimagining Higher Education for Employability and Sustainability.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to announce the next instalment of its prestigious Thought-Leader Series, titled Reimagining Higher Education for Employability and Sustainability. This highly anticipated event – held in collaboration with the Free State Arts Festival - will take place on Thursday, 17 July 2025, from 12:00 to 14:00 at the Albert Wessels Auditorium, UFS Bloemfontein Campus. Attendance is free and open to the public.

Now in its seventh year, the UFS Thought-Leader Series has established itself as a dynamic platform for robust public dialogue on pressing local and global issues. The series brings together influential voices from academia, industry, and civil society, reflecting the university’s continued commitment to thought leadership, public engagement, and transformative impact.

Rethinking the purpose of Higher Education

This year’s theme comes at a critical time. South Africa faces escalating youth unemployment, rapid technological change, and the complexities of a shifting global economy. Against this backdrop, questions around the purpose of higher education and its alignment with employability and sustainability have become increasingly urgent.

The panel will explore how universities can better integrate their teaching, research, and community engagement to address the real-world needs of graduates and society at large.

Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, will serve as the facilitator. With her extensive leadership experience and academic expertise, she is well-positioned to guide what promises to be an insightful and forward-thinking conversation.

Meet the panellists

The session will feature an esteemed panel of thought leaders from the higher education landscape:

Dr Max Price

Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, Dr Max Price brings deep insights into leadership during transformative moments in South African higher education. A medical doctor and Rhodes Scholar, he holds postgraduate qualifications in public health. His recent memoir, Statues and Storms: Leading through change, reflects on steering a university through turbulent times and fostering dialogue on contested transformation issues.

Dr Phethiwe Matutu

As CEO of Universities South Africa (USAf), Dr Phethiwe Matutu leads national initiatives shaping the future of higher education. A mathematician by training, she has held strategic leadership roles at the National Research Foundation and the Department of Science and Technology. Her work is rooted in advancing equity, innovation, and access within the post-school education system.

Prof Paul E Green

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning at Sol Plaatje University, Prof Paul E Green is a specialist in systems thinking and higher education quality. Holding a PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, he has served in senior academic positions across several institutions. His research centres on integrating education, innovation, and community impact to meet contemporary challenges.

Prof Pamela Dube

Prof Pamela Dube is the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Central University of Technology (CUT) - the first woman to be appointed to this role in the Free State. A distinguished academic and visionary leader with extensive global experience, she has served in senior positions across several universities and national institutions. Her work spans a wide range of fields, including student development, postcolonial studies, gender equity, and the evolving interface between technology and humanity. Known for her commitment to inclusive transformative education, Prof Dube has received numerous awards and international recognition for her contributions to higher education and leadership.

Event Details

Venue: Albert Wessels Auditorium, UFS Bloemfontein Campus

Date: Thursday, 17 July 2025

Time: 12:00–14:00 (90 minutes)

Click here to RSVP before 15 July 2025

News Archive

Suspension of the South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

2016-05-04

The senior leadership of the UFS and the management of the South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) take note of the decision by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to suspend the laboratory’s accreditation to perform doping control analysis on biological samples of athletes and sportsmen and -women until 30 September 2016. During this time of suspension, all sport-related samples will be sent for analysis to the WADA accredited laboratory in Qatar until the accreditation of SADoCoL is re-established. Analysis according to WADA accreditation will therefore not be interrupted during the period of the suspension of the accreditation of SADoCoL.

The announcement by WADA on 3 May 2016 follows a voluntary decision by SADoCoL in March 2016 to temporarily close the laboratory for some of its routine analytical duties for six months, as from 1 April 2016. The decision was taken in consultation with the senior leadership of the UFS and other role players, especially the Department of Sport and Recreation of South Africa (SRSA) and the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS). SADoCoL is a specialised service laboratory of the University of the Free State (UFS) and has been in existence for more than thirty years.

Due to the ever-increasing demands on the number, variety and analytical sensitivity of compounds to be analysed according to the Prohibited List of WADA, technical and infrastructure adaptations need to be implemented in the laboratory continuously to keep up with the demands. Over the last year, SADoCoL has drastically increased its capacity in both personnel and infrastructure, to a point where these changes can be implemented for optimal performance of the laboratory. This has to be done while normal routine analysis continues, and it became clear that at present, implementation cannot be successfully accomplished together with the workload from normal routine analyses.

The time of suspension will be utilised to implement and test these new systems in order to achieve the standard presently required by WADA, as well as to perform development and improvements. This development will be performed in close collaboration with other role players in the anti-doping movement in South Africa, such as SAIDS and SRSA. Scientific development aid will also be acquired from other doping control laboratories worldwide in order to assure that the high analytical quality is maintained and expanded to meet the fast growing challenges in this field. The progress of the process will be closely monitored, and the upgraded methodologies will then, after rigorous testing, be implemented to ensure that the required analytical quality is maintained so as to obtain re-accreditation by WADA at the conclusion of the suspension period.

Issued by: Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27(0)51 401 2584 or +27 (0) 83 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 (0) 51 444 6393

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