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30 May 2025 | Story Prof Mikateko Mathebula | Photo Supplied
Africa Month Alliance
Pictured (from left to right): Prof Faith Mkwananzi, Dr Kapambwe Mwelwa, Prof Lochner Marais, Prof Chikumbutso Manthalu, and Prof Mikateko Mathebula.

Through collaborative agreements with the University of Malawi and the University of Zambia, the University of the Free State (UFS) has established the Research Alliance for Higher Education in Africa (RAHEdA), a dynamic initiative aimed at enhancing research capacity and partnerships within Sub-Saharan Africa.

The initiative forms part of the UFS’s SARChI Chair in Higher Education and Human Development (HEHD) research programme. 

The collaborative agreements align with the UFS’s Vision 130 strategy in relation to internationalisation, emphasising the important role that intra-African mobility visits play in establishing relationships with universities on the continent. It also fosters knowledge exchange and engagement and allows for careful planning and strategy meetings. 

In 2024, the HEHD hosted Dr Kapambwe Mwelwa, a lecturer in the University of Zambia’s Department of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, and Prof Chikumbutso Manthalu, Head of Higher Education and Professional Development in the University of Malawi’s School of Education, for such a visit. Their engagements included research seminars, a PhD presentation day, and collaborative strategy sessions with UFS academics, including Prof Faith Mkwananzi and Prof Mikateko Mathebula from the UFS’s Centre for Development Support (CDS), who are co-founders of RAHEdA.

“During these discussions, an ambitious but feasible roadmap was laid out for the next three to five years,” Prof Mkwananzi said. “These activities include online workshops for staff and postgraduate students at all partner institutions, and a new webinar series that focuses on profiling, advancing, and celebrating thought leaders, higher education scholars, and scholarship in Africa.” 

The inaugural webinar was held on 21 May 2025. Speaker Prof Siseko Kumalo, Associate Professor at the University of Johannesburg’s Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies, spoke on ‘Orality as the Bulwark of the Humanities?’, set the bar high for the webinar series through his compelling and original response to this timely question, as scholars around the world contemplate appropriate responses to the rise and influence of artificial intelligence in higher education teaching, learning, and assessment.

Funding to support RAHEdA has been generously provided by Prof Melanie Walker, Distinguished Professor and SARChI Chair in Higher Education and Human Development.

• For information on how to get involved and for updates on RAHEdA, please contact Prof Mikateko Mathebula at MathebulaM@ufs.ac.za

News Archive

Kovsie Open Day a resounding success
2010-05-05

 
 Photo: Gerhard Louw


The Kovsie Open Day 2010 that took place on the Main Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein last week, was attended by more than 6 000 prospective students and their parents. This event was a resounding success. Thus report our prospective students, their parents, campus personnel, as well Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor at the UFS.

Parents and learners from across South Africa were firstly welcomed by Prof. Jansen, the Deans and Moses Masitha, the President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) in the Callie Human Centre. Thereafter they were afforded the opportunity to visit the various exhibitions in the faculties and residences. Parents and learners could also complete application forms for entrance to the UFS in the tent of the Division Corporate Relations on the Red Square. Liesl Cronje from Magaliesburg, who wants to come and study B.Sc.Agric. at Kovsies, was named as the winner of R3 000 by Corporate Relations after her application form had been selected in a lucky draw.

Residences and student organisations also had information points on the grass in front of the Main Building, where more information was given out to prospective students. Armentum, Vishuis and Karee won the first, second and third place respectively with their information points. The ladies’ residences Vergeet-my-nie, Emily Hobhouse and Soetdoring respectively boasted with the best information points.

The first official Kovsie slogan competition was also held and Madelief was appointed as the winner.

This day was held to provide prospective students and their parents with the opportunity to become better acquainted with the distinctive quality that the UFS offers its students. Staff and students also provided learners with the necessary information to enable them to make the right decisions regarding their career and studies next year.
 

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