A UFS flagship initiative, the ICDF provides a unique intellectual ecosystem to responsibly drive digital futures for social benefit. It combines social and natural science, engineering, data science, and health science – as some examples – to collaborate co-creatively with industry, government, and community. Projects are interdisciplinary, focused on leadership in digital futures, and develop strategies to meet digital-social needs. Drawing on expertise from across the university, it is a pivotal hub of scholars working towards a common goal.

Located on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus, the ARU is a multidisciplinary research group with a vision to become Africa’s leader in mountain research. It has a specific focus on the sustainable development of the Maloti-Drakensberg as a unique ecological system (covering three South African provinces and Lesotho) that impacts 30 million people, while hosting globally important biodiversity. The ARU is building a community of practice to inform mountain research, policy, and governance. With local and international fellows and postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers, the ARU is widely recognised for advancing the mountain systems research agenda of the Global South. Mountain research is typically dominated by the Global North.

The UFS is the custodian of an optical observatory and a former telescope building that has been converted into a digital planetarium – the Boyden Observatory and the Naval Hill Digital Planetarium in Bloemfontein. Located under stable dark skies, the UFS’ location in central South Africa is ideal suited for astronomy research. Boyden Observatory is an active research facility, while the former Lamont-Hussey Observatory on Naval Hill is part of the Centre for Earth and Space, home to the first state-of-the-art digital planetarium in sub-Saharan Africa. The facilities at Boyden and Naval Hill preserve and showcase important South African astronomy heritage, promote research, teaching and learning, and attract a diverse public, including school learners, postgraduate researchers, and amateur and professional astronomers. The UFS works with local government and private organisations to maintain and expand these historically significant facilities. The project facilitates ground-breaking research, while promoting economic development and tourism, as well as science communication to a wide public audience.

The UFS produces sought-after graduates in food and nutrition security and innovative agriculture with sustainability at the core of all food systems. Its research contributes to a robust agri-business sector with meaningful growth through cutting-edge research, most visible in the award-winning Paradys Experimental Farm just outside the Bloemfontein Campus. The UFS, located in South Africa’s farming heartland, advances socio-economic development in emerging commercial and small-scale female farmer training. These initiatives leverage UFS resources, together with those of strategic business partners. The result is a UFS that responds to a rapidly changing food system facing environmental and consumer pressures, securing food systems and food security for stable and thriving societies.

The UFS student recruitment strategy has a focus on rigorous transformation for greater access by disadvantaged groups. Improved equality of access and success drives social mobility and increases equality. And the UFS can proudly say that 80% of its students are first-generation students, with a graduation throughput rate among the highest in South Africa. Student bursaries and scholarships are key levers in social equality. While very poor students are funded through state grants such as NSFAS, the ‘missing middle’ from working and lower-middle-class families is unintentionally left out of the funding pie. These students need full-cost funding that takes care of not just fees, but also books, allowances, technology, and meals. Partial funding means that students work multiple jobs, do not have time to study and think, and eventually drop out. Bursaries create opportunities for students with high potential to graduate and become successful professionals, creating a stronger middle class and robust society.

Many Kovsie students are first-generation students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. Many of these students are experiencing food insecurity. The UFS Food Environment Office provides the most vulnerable students with support and resources to fight food insecurity. It runs several initiatives, including subsidised access to nutritious meals. Some funders donate non-perishable items that are distributed to students twice a month, and others contribute funds. Some students grow their own food in partnership with the UFS Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Kovsie ACT. The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics supports the initiative by educating students about healthy food and meal choices through the Eat to Succeed programme.

High unemployment nationally means that South Africans need to stand out in the job market. For generations, a tertiary degree was enough to get you through the door, yet new graduates are no longer so fortunate. Employers are increasingly seeking specialisation of some kind, an ability to apply the latest knowledge in useful ways. Honours degrees are the gateway to specialisation and give job-hunting candidates some level of edge, increasing their employability. Their skills are more sought after for their potential bottom-line benefit. Students who are academically eligible for honours need bursary and scholarship funding to drive growth, nationally and individually. Donor funding can fulfil dreams for individuals and build economies for many, many more.

Disability is part of being human – almost everyone will have some form of disability (temporary or permanent) at some point in their lives. With that in mind, disability rights and access are part of being human. CUADS facilitates access to quality education for students. Through various principal initiatives, CUADS offers students with disabilities an opportunity to feel more confident and empowered. It develops awareness and influences disability advocacy across the university community. Disability rights are human rights with a ‘nothing about us without us’ inclusive approach to flattening the steep hill that people with disabilities face. CUADS makes the UFS a space that becomes a universally accessible HEI that embraces all people.

Although faced with challenging economic times, we must promote young South African talent. Top matriculants have many opportunities, so universities must compete with peers to recruit the best. For the UFS, attracting top achievers is a priority. Excellent matriculants have the potential to become excellent university students and contribute to learning quality, research efficacy, university rankings, and brand positioning. Snowballing effects mean other top achievers will follow, making the UFS a university of choice. As part of our student recruitment strategy, the UFS seeks to provide top achievers with Excellence Scholarships to further their higher education at our amazing university.

The three UFS campuses have been significantly affected by the energy challenges facing the nation. In the short term, we are managing these obstacles by encouraging the use of solar panels and smart grids. The UFS’ picturesque landscapes use grey water on indigenous flora and vegetation, conserving natural resources and reducing our carbon footprint. Student programmes enable the design and construction of eco-vehicles. At the end of each year, a race is held – an entertaining highlight on the student calendar. In addition, the UFS actively participates in the #SasolSolarChallenge. Our partners fund these exciting energy-focused student initiatives and support exciting and applicable research on renewable energy and the circular economy.