Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS commemorates Africa Day with powerful dialogue on higher education and Africa’s global future

27 May 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi and Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios

Africa Day Podcast — Media personality David Mashabela moderated a dynamic Africa Day dialogue with Dr Naledi Pandor and UFS Chancellor Prof Bonang Mohale at the UFS’s Albert Wessels Auditorium.

The University of the Free State (UFS) marked Africa Day (commemorated annually on 25 May) with a bold and thought-provoking podcast-style discussion hosted by the Office for International Affairs on 22 May 2025 at the Bloemfontein Campus. Now in its eighth year, the annual Africa Day commemoration was reimagined with a conversational format that blended intellectual insight with the energy of live engagement.

Centred around the theme ‘Africa’s Future: Higher Education and Global Impact’, the panel featured some of the most respected voices in leadership and academia. Media personality David Mashabela, known for his King David Studio podcast and presence on Radio 2000, moderated a rich conversation between UFS Chancellor Prof Bonang Mohale and Dr Naledi Pandor, former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.

Anchored in the broader context of Africa Month, the dialogue highlighted the critical role of African universities in shaping knowledge systems, advancing innovation, and strengthening the continent’s global positioning. It also underscored how youth, as drivers of change, are central to building a future where Africa leads through education, collaboration, and homegrown solutions.

Reimagining the role of higher education in Africa’s future

At the heart of the discussion was a shared belief that higher education is not just a site of learning, but a strategic force for shaping Africa’s future.

Dr Pandor underlined the conditions necessary for universities to truly contribute to development. “Universities play their best role in the context in which there’s freedom of expression, democracy and free academic activity,” she said. “Without these, it’s impossible for higher education to make a contribution to development.”

She also emphasised that research and innovation must be treated as central to a university’s mission. “You can, through university work, make a contribution to development,” she noted, “but it has to be integral … and must enjoy the characteristics of freedom to pursue knowledge and support for innovation.”

But contribution, she argued, can’t happen in a vacuum: While government efforts in supporting higher education are commendable, Dr Pandor called out the private sector’s absence in funding and partnerships. “We’ve got to address the inadequacies that there are in establishing this link,” she said, referring to the disconnect between industry and academia.

Prof Mohale, drawing from his experience in the business world, expanded on this disconnect. “Unfortunately, businesses succumbed to measuring itself in quarterly cycles, where nations are created in centuries,” he remarked. In his view, businesses often fail to recognise their stake in broader societal development. “If they [government] don’t create a conducive environment where businesses can thrive,” he warned, “then people become opportunistic, self-centred and egocentric.”

Still, both speakers remained hopeful, particularly about the power of the continent’s youth. Dr Pandor argued that universities must do more than teach; they must equip. “Part of the role of universities is to train us in economics, investment, business formation, and really ensuring that we create powerful youth that can effectively manage our economy and ensure that we succeed.”

Prof Mohale echoed that sentiment, adding that universities also need to lead by example. He called for institutions of higher learning to embrace not only academic excellence, but also social justice and strong ethical frameworks. “We need to bring a social justice approach to these higher learning institutions because of the disparity that is very grotesque,” he said.

Context, collaboration and the power of dialogue

Prof Anthea Rhoda, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic at UFS, reflected on Africa Day as not only a commemoration but also a call to both honour and reimagine.

“Africa Day offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on our continent’s progress, challenges, and future potential,” she said. “It reminds us that universities are an integral part of the African narrative, both as custodians of our knowledge systems and as catalysts for transformation.”

Prof Lynette Jacobs, Director of the Office for International Affairs, highlighted how the event’s theme resonates with today’s world. “If we look globally, there’s a move to nationalism, closing borders, looking out for ourselves,” she noted. “And that’s where higher education makes a difference, because we bring sanity and intellect to the thinking.”

She explained that the decision to use a podcast-style format was a deliberate shift towards deeper engagement. “We didn’t want to repeat what we’ve always done. We needed a new approach, and we were pleased by the turnout and how students were fully engaged.”

The event reinforced the university’s commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue during Africa Month and beyond.

Watch the discussion here:

News Archive

UV vestig hom afgelope eeu as leier op verskeie terreine

2004-05-11

Michelle O'Connor - Volksblad - 11 Mei 2004

Ondank terugslae nou 'n 'gesonde volwassene'

HOEWEL die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) vanjaar sy eeufees vier en met 23 000 studente die grootste universiteit in die sentrale deel van die land is, was dié instelling se geboorte glad nie maklik nie. MICHELÉ O'CONNOR het met prof. Frederick Fourie, rektor, oor die nederige begin van dié instelling gesels.

DIE behoefte aan 'n eie universiteit in die Vrystaat het reeds in 1855, kort ná die stigting van Grey-kollege, kop uitgesteek.

Grey se manne het hulleself teen 1890 begin voorberei om die intermediêre B.A.-eksamens af te lê. Dié eksamen het hulle toegang gegee tot die tweede jaar van 'n B.A.-graad aan die destydse University of the Cape Good Hope, nou die Universiteit van Kaapstad.

"Presidente F.W. Reitz en M.T. Steyn het destyds albei die stigting van 'n universiteit hier bepleit. Die grootste rede was sodat die seuns van die Vrystaat nie weggestuur word nie.

"Dié twee se droom is op 28 Januarie 1904 bewaarheid toe ses studente hulle onder dr. Johannes Bril, as hoof/rektor van Grey-kollege, vir die graad B.A. ingeskryf het. Dié graad is aanvanklik deur die Kaapse universiteit toegeken.

"Net die klassieke tale soos Latyns en Grieks, die moderne tale, Nederlands, Duits en Engels, filosofie, geskiedenis, wiskunde, fisika, chemie, plant- en dierkunde is aanvanklik aangebied.

"Die UV se geboue het gegroei van 'n klein tweevertrek-geboutjie wat nou naby Huis Abraham Fischer staan, en verblyf in die Grey-kollege se seunskoshuis," sê Fourie.

Volgens hom is die universiteit se eerste raad en senaat tussen 1904 en 1920 saamgestel. Die eerste dosente is aangestel en die eerste geboue opgerig. "Dié tyd was egter baie moeilik.

"Die instelling het teen 1920 net 100 studente gehad en was geldelik in die knyp. Daar was geen vaste rektor nie en geen vooruitgang nie. Vrystaatse kinders is steeds na ander universiteite gestuur.

"Ds. J.D. Kestell, rektor van 1920 tot 1927, het egter dié instelling finaal gevestig.

"Hy het self studente van oor die hele Vrystaat gewerf en geld by onder meer kerke en banke ingesamel. Kestell het selfs Engelse ouers oortuig om hul kinders na die Greyuniversiteitskollege (GUK) te stuur en teen 1927 het dié instelling met 400 studente gespog.

"In die tydperk tussen 1927 en 1950 het die GUK weer verskeie terugslae beleef.

"In dié tyd was dit onder meer die Groot Depressie en die Tweede Wêreldoorlog. Die armblanke-vraagstuk het regstreeks op studente en dosente ingewerk en die politieke onderstrominge van dié tyd het die instelling ontwrig.

"Die GUK het egter oorleef en die Universiteitskollege van die Oranje-Vrystaat (UKOVS) is in 1935 gebore," sê Fourie.

Hy sê in dié tyd is verskeie fakulteite gevestig en teen 1950 het die UKOVS met 1 000 studente gespog.

Teen 1950 het dit 'n onafhanklike universiteit geword en die naam is verander na die Universiteit van die OranjeVrystaat (UOVS).

Dié tydperk is gekenmerk deur Afrikaner- en blanke selfvertroue en heerskappy. Studentegetalle het tot 7 000 in 1975 gegroei en heelwat vooruitgang het in dié tyd plaasgevind.

"Tussen 1976 en 1989 sukkel dieuniversiteit weer met onder meer ekonomiese krisisse, die land se politieke onstabiliteit en word die UOVS geï soleer.

"Een ligpunt in dié tyd is die toelating van die eerste swart studente, die nuwe Sasol-biblioteek en die fakulteit teologie wat die lig sien.

"Tussen 1990 en vanjaar het die UOVS verskeie op- en afdraandes beleef. Die universiteit doen nie net die eerste stappe van transformasie nie, maar begin ook aan 'n beleid van multikulturaliteit werk.

"Die UOVS se naam verander in 1996 na die Universiteit van die Vrystaat/University of the Free State en in 2001 word die Sotho-vertaling bygevoeg.

"Geldelike druk en probleme neem drasties toe en personeel word gerasionaliseer.

"Teen 2000 begin die UV met 'n draaistrategie en studentegetalle neem tot meer as 23 000 toe," sê Fourie.

Hy sê die UV het die afgelope eeu nie net verskeie terugslae oorleef nie, maar homself ook op verskeie gebiede as 'n leier gevestig.

Die universiteit behaal sy eie geldelike mikpunte, neem 'n nuwe taalbeleid van veeltaligheid aan en herbelê in personeel.

Die instelling inkorporeer die kampusse van die Vista- en Qwaqwa-universiteit en groei internasionaal.

Die UV vestig ook fondamente van 'n institusionele kultuur van verdraagsaamheid, geregtigheid en diversiteit.

"Die baba het in die afgelope eeu 'n gesonde volwassene geword."

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept