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UFS co-hosts the Global Social Innovation Indaba

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.

News Archive

Judgement in the Supreme Court of Appeal about UFS Language Policy

2016-11-17

The University of the Free State (UFS) is pleased with the judgment handed down in the Supreme Court of Appeal this morning, relating to the university’s appeal against the implementation order granted on 12 September 2016 by the Full Bench of the Free State High Court. The implementation order barred the UFS from implementing its new Language Policy in 2017, pending the outcome of the appeal of the review application.

The Supreme Court of Appeal held that the application brought by AfriForum and Solidarity failed on a legal and factual level, and was misconceived. The court accordingly upheld the appeal by the UFS against the implementation order, setting aside the order, and directing that AfriForum and Solidarity pay the legal costs of the UFS in respect of both the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal proceedings pertaining to implementation.

The effect of today’s judgment is that the UFS may proceed to implement the new Language Policy in its pilot programme next year, pending the appeal of the review application which will only be heard early in 2017.

In March 2016, the Senate and then Council adopted with overwhelming majority a new Language Policy that strives to achieve multilingualism. The new policy entails English as primary medium of instruction, but with the introduction of a tutorial system in Afrikaans and progressively in Sesotho to support students’ learning in their first and second year of study.

The policy will be piloted in 2017 with first-year students in three faculties: Law, Health Sciences, and the Humanities. In these faculties, the majority of students indicated their preference to be taught in English. The Afrikaans-English policy will be maintained in the rest of the faculties in 2017 and phased out according to an implementation plan as from 2018.

Current registered students will be able to complete their studies in the language they selected upon registration.

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

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