There isn’t a lot of time for recreational reading when you’re running a university. But when year-end holidays roll around, Africa’s vice chancellors can finally read for pleasure.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
University of the Free State
The University of the Free State (UFS) is increasingly being seen as an exciting scholarship destination, as evidenced by an unprecedented level of interest by academics and students from around the world. The changes taking place at the university continue to capture the imagination of people everywhere, including the international media and our growing base of international universities.
One of the reasons for the broader interest in the UFS is our very public commitment to the highest academic standards. In doing so, the university pursues a vision of uplifting standards for students and academics alike despite the challenges young people encounter in the school system. We believe strongly that given the opportunity, all young people can achieve the high standards set by our university. This is our academic project.
The UFS remains conscious, however, of its responsibility for public scholarship, for turning ideas into action, for making research count in the lives of ordinary people and for developing a spirit of service through scholarship among our students. These students are the next generation of leaders in South Africa, on our continent, and in this global, interconnected world. In these pursuits, the university seeks to distinguish itself from its competitors. Few universities, for example, make human reconciliation one of the foundations of its mission. This is our human project.
With its central campus situated in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province, the UFS is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in South Africa. It opened its doors in 1904 with a mere six students in the Humanities and has since grown to more than 30 000 students spread across seven faculties. Besides the Bloemfontein Campus, the university also has a South Campus in Bloemfontein.
Bloemfontein is not only the birthplace of major political parties that shaped the political landscape in South Africa. The city has also produced some of the leading minds in teaching, medicine, agriculture, science, theology, economics, management and many other fields. We are particularly proud of the legal minds cultivated in the university and in the city, the home of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The UFS also has a vibrant Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State serving rural students from the immediate area and surrounding provinces, and a smaller South Campus in Bloemfontein that provides alternative access to higher education for promising students who obtained poor marks in their final school examinations.
The university’s seven faculties with more than 130 departments and/or schools are served by more than 1692 academic staff members, supported by a strong administrative and support staff.
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Displaying 121 - 132 of 132 articles
While the global health community has made mental healthcare a priority, South Africa is not following suite. The impact is felt most acutely by poor people suffering from mental health disorders.
Universities need to change to become more equitable learning spaces. But what’s the best way to measure their transformation, identify gaps and emphasise successes?
While the debate seems not to be solvable, three academics look at the question of whether artists should provide entertainment or write for their own pleasure.
While gender inequality is a pervasive problem in academia, there is a home in universities for women right now. Here’s how to make it a happy one.
What does it really mean to be “ready” for university? Research involving more than 3000 high school learners and first year university students have tried to answer this complex question.
Humans can learn a thing or two from animals on how to deal with stress.
Child obesity needs to be tackled at the age of six to avoid them becoming overweight teens and obese adults.
Protests in South Africa against a lack of services, such as water and electricity, reached unprecedented levels in 2014. Many have been accompanied by violence and destruction of property.
Farmers hold the key to prevent ecological degradation and promote conservation
Higher education institutions that only hire academics from their own backyards simply cannot compete in this era of the global university.
There are more than 5,000 species of mammals alive today and most people would argue that they are some of the most successful animals on Earth. But our research, published today, suggests that some mammals…
Authors
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Senior Lecturer of Physical Geography and GIS, University of the Free State
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Research Associate, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State
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Senior Professor (Emeritus) and Research Fellow, Department of History, University of the Free State
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Lecturer, University of the Free State
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Senior lecturer in Economics, University of the Free State
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Lecturer, University of the Free State
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Lecturer, University of the Free State
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Associate Professor, University of the Free State
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Senior lecturer in law, University of the Free State
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Associate Professor, Mathematical Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of the Free State
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Lecturer in Communication Science, University of the Free State
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Research Professor, UFS History Department, University of the Free State
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Senior Lecturer Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State
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Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Studies and Governance, University of the Free State
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Professor Emeritus, University of the Free State
