Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
24 July 2024
|
Story Lacea Loader
![]()
The University of the Free State (UFS) is co-hosting the Global Social Innovation Indaba together with Social Innovation Exchange (SIX) on its Bloemfontein Campus from 30 September to 2 October 2024. This event brings together people from different sectors all over the world to discuss how to accelerate and support people-powered
change and create a better society for generations to come.
The UFS is excited to collaborate with SIX, as its vision and values overlap. During this three-day indaba, aspects such as – what it takes to build accountable, inclusive, and participatory institutions, specifically the future role of universities in South Africa – will be discussed. Themes to be explored include young people as drivers of change, post-industrial transitions and community resilience, the role of art, social change and bridging divides, and systemic approaches to dealing with unemployment.
Some of the speakers and participants in the programme include Carla Duprat from ICE (Brazil); Cheryl Jacob from ESquared Investments (South Africa); François Bonnici from the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship (Switzerland); Sir Geoff Mulgan from the University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom; and Dr Narissa Ramdhani from the Ifa Lethu Foundation (South Africa).
The UFS will also use the opportunity to showcase its campus and offerings to attendees, focusing on its transformation story and some of the interdisciplinary forward-thinking programmes. Guests will also be treated to true South African hospitality, laying the foundation for strong relationships and collaboration.
SIX believes in the transformative power of people working together. Exchanges based on mutual value and reciprocity are the missing link in tackling the world’s problems. As a friendly, expert entry point to global social innovation, their work connects organisations, sectors, communities, and nations to build capabilities and create opportunities for collaboration.
Book Prize for Distinguished Scholarship awarded to Dr Christian Williams
2016-03-24
Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State and Dr Christian Williams, senior lecturer at the UFS Department of Anthropology.
Photo: Johan Roux |
When Dr Christian Williams moved from the United States to Namibia in January 2000 as part of the WorldTeach volunteer programme for teachers, he had not anticipated an award-winning piece of scholarship in his future. It was during these visits to Namibia, though, that the seeds for his highly-acclaimed book were sewn.
While volunteering at the St. Therese Secondary School in Tses at that time, Dr Williams – now a senior lecturer at the University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Anthropology – became acquainted with some of the school’s alumni. The stories these individuals started sharing with him soon revealed personal histories of exile and violence by fellow SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organization) members.
These experiences ultimately resulted in Dr Williams’ book, National liberation in postcolonial southern Africa: a historical ethnography of SWAPO’s exile camps, published last year. Due to the book’s literary impact, the university awarded Dr Williams the UFS Book Prize for Distinguished Scholarship on Friday 19 February 2016. Dr Williams is the second academic to be awarded this prize.
Politics of the past
In the 1960s, Namibians mobilised and retaliated against colonial rule under the liberation movement known as SWAPO. This created political tension which resulted in the flight of many SWAPO members to exile camps administered by the party.
“Over its three decades in exile, SWAPO was responsible for the welfare of roughly 60 000 Namibians. This was about 4% of the total Namibian population at independence – most of whom lived in camps,” says Dr Williams. The research originally used as a basis for his doctoral thesis was subsequently developed into this prize-winning book.
Advancing the Human Project
“It’s an honour to receive recognition from the university; it means that they value the kind of work that I am doing. I think it’s great for universities to have such prizes,” Dr Williams says.
Supporting the UFS Human Project, Dr Williams will donate a portion of the R25 000 prize money towards the UFS Student Bursary Fund Campaign, as well as the school in Namibia.The rest will subsidise the purchase of the book for distribution to libraries and as gifts.