University of the Free State

University of the Free State Welcome! UFS, with campuses in Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa, hosts 39 000+ students across seven faculties. We also have a vibrant student life.

A research-led, student-centered and regionally-engaged university that produces globally competitive graduates and knowledge. Picture a friendly, hip and happening university campus, nestled right in the heart of the Free State capital, Bloemfontein; a university that has produced some of the country’s top thinkers and academics; a university that continues to stand out as a beacon of academic ex

cellence. Of course, this is the University of the Free State, or UFS, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in South Africa. To our students, staff, alumni, and friends, we are known as Kovsies. Besides our Bloemfontein Campus, we also have a beautiful campus in the rural sandstone mountains of Qwaqwa in the Eastern Free State, and a smaller Open and Distance Learning Campus in Bloemfontein. On these three campuses, a multicultural and diverse student population of more than 30 000 students are educated in English and Afrikaans across seven faculties, connected not only to the rest of the continent but also to the world. Feel free to come take a stroll on campus and experience our way of life, where academic culture, critical scientific reflection, relevant scientific education, pure and applied research, community service, and the development of the total student as part of our academic culture are the building blocks in the creation of tomorrow’s leaders. Many cultural and sporting events make this an exciting place to be, as does our awesome student centre and the special events hosted by all our residences.

When Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa began researching African traditional medicine, scepticism was never far away. Today, af...
04/09/2026

When Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa began researching African traditional medicine, scepticism was never far away. Today, after decades of perseverance, scientific research and an unwavering belief in his work, his contribution has been recognised with the prestigious Hamilton Naki Award from the National Research Foundation (NRF).

For Prof Matsabisa, renowned African traditional medicine expert and pharmacology researcher at the University of the Free State, the recognition is more than a prestigious accolade. It is a powerful affirmation of a career built on persistence, consistency and the courage to pursue a path that many once dismissed.

The Hamilton Naki Award, named after Hamilton Naki, a self-taught surgeon who trained generations of medical students in surgical techniques, was awarded on Thursday evening (3 September) as part of the annual NRF Awards. The Hamilton Naki Award honours individuals for advancing their careers in science and achieving world-class research performance despite considerable challenges – a fitting tribute to Prof Matsabisa who refused to give up when others questioned whether his field belonged in science.

Read more: https://ufsweb.co/4ypgLse

The University of the Free State congratulates Prof Puseletso Mofokeng on her appointment as the new Director of the Cen...
04/09/2026

The University of the Free State congratulates Prof Puseletso Mofokeng on her appointment as the new Director of the Centre for Global Change on the University of the Free State Qwaqwa Campus. Her appointment marks an important moment for a centre whose work speaks directly to some of the challenges facing communities in Maluti-a-Phofung.

But perhaps what makes this moment even more remarkable is where her own story began. In 1999, Prof Mofokeng entered a research laboratory as a young research assistant, cleaning the lab and washing glassware. She had no idea then that simply being curious about the work happening around her would set her on a path from that laboratory to becoming a scientist, academic, and now director of a research centre. Her story is a reminder that sometimes the beginnings we least expect can lead us somewhere far greater than we imagined.

Read more: https://ufsweb.co/460trtk

What can a tiny DNA sample tell us about a living animal? That question has built a career in conservation genetics, fro...
04/09/2026

What can a tiny DNA sample tell us about a living animal? That question has built a career in conservation genetics, from research on rhinos, antelope, monkeys and mussels, to mentoring the next generation of geneticists. Prof Paul Grobler’s work has now earned him the SAGS Hofmeyr-Van Schaik Medal (Gold). Read about it here: https://ufsweb.co/4zV00q2

Congratulations Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa and Dr Cobus van Breda🙌🏻
03/09/2026

Congratulations Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa and Dr Cobus van Breda🙌🏻

In recognition of outstanding academic performance by final-year Doctoral students. Congratulations to the ten researche...
03/09/2026

In recognition of outstanding academic performance by final-year Doctoral students. Congratulations to the ten researchers receiving an NRF Research Excellence Award for Next Generation Researchers.
Congratulations Ms Zurika Murray, University of the Free State

The acquisition of the Ceveron s100 Technoclone Instrument, a fully automated laboratory analyser, will not only strengt...
03/09/2026

The acquisition of the Ceveron s100 Technoclone Instrument, a fully automated laboratory analyser, will not only strengthen the University of the Free State (UFS) Special Haemostasis Laboratory’s (SHL) national diagnostic capacity for bleeding and thrombotic disorders, but it will also improve patient care and reducing hospital stays.

This laboratory, a National Reference Laboratory handling complex haemostasis testing for South Africa and neighbouring countries, recently purchased this R1 133 701.17 instrument through joint funding between the UFS and the Novo Nordisk Haemophilia & Haemoglobinopathies Foundation with the assistance of the South African Haemophilia Foundation.

“The acquisition of this instrument will strengthen our national diagnostic capacity for bleeding and thrombotic disorders, support clinical care, research, and training, thereby advancing the department’s academic mission. It will enable the Special Haemostasis Laboratory to maintain its role as the only state-sector facility performing advanced Von Willebrand Disease and Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura testing in Southern Africa,” says Prof Muriel Meiring, Principal Scientist in the UFS Department of Haematology and Cell Biology. Read more: https://ufsweb.co/3SKSYU7

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮?The UFS Department of Social Work is...
03/09/2026

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮?

The UFS Department of Social Work is bringing together experts from psychiatry, social work, education, child and youth care, therapeutic practice, and African spirituality for an interdisciplinary online symposium on 4 September 2026.

Join researchers, practitioners, educators, students, and community members for a conversation about more connected and holistic approaches to adolescent trauma care.

Register here: https://bit.ly/468XZJp

Read the full article here: https://ufsweb.co/3SOkbWa

𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗦𝗥𝗖 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲Six student leaders. Six different SRC portfolios. One shared commitment to suppor...
03/09/2026

𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗦𝗥𝗖 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲

Six student leaders. Six different SRC portfolios. One shared commitment to supporting fellow students.

Before stepping into their current leadership roles, Ogorogile Moleme, Tumelo Mats’ela, Emilio Mmako, Mduduzi Viliwe, Olorato Moroke, and Vuyo Mohammed had all been part of the UFS Student Counselling and Development (SCD) Influencer programme.

Through the programme, they helped raise awareness, connect students with support, and encourage conversations about mental health and well-being.

In the words of SRC President Ogorogile Moleme: “If there’s one thing that must be on your priority list for a successful varsity journey, it is definitely knowing about SCD and keeping your mental health in check.”

Their journeys remind us that leadership does not always begin with a title.

Sometimes, it begins with noticing what others need – and choosing to care.

Read the full story here: https://ufsweb.co/3SQ7Sse

What does it mean when women take their place at the highest levels of education? It means more than seeing a woman’s na...
03/09/2026

What does it mean when women take their place at the highest levels of education? It means more than seeing a woman’s name on a leadership announcement. It means having women in the rooms where decisions are made, shaping institutions, influencing the direction of scholarship and helping to open opportunities for those who come next.

The August 2026 edition of Inside Education looks at women shaping education, leadership and opportunity in South Africa, and features Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State. Prof Klopper is the first woman to hold the position in the University of the Free State (UFS)’s 122-year history.

Her appointment is part of a changing story in South African higher education. Women are leading universities, faculties and research programmes, while contributing to the education and development of the next generation.

Representation matters because people notice who is leading. They see what is possible. And, over time, those possibilities can become pathways for others.

We are proud to see Prof Klopper as part of this conversation and to recognise the contribution she is making to the future of higher education at UFS.

Read the August 2026 edition of Inside Education: https://bit.ly/4gOwrOw

The UFS Qwaqwa Campus, through its Directorate of Community Engagement, joined hands with the Makholokweng Royal House t...
03/09/2026

The UFS Qwaqwa Campus, through its Directorate of Community Engagement, joined hands with the Makholokweng Royal House to host a training workshop at the Makholokweng Community Hall in Harrismith on 27 August 2026.

The initiative encouraged community members to explore practical ways of building self-reliance, with the aim of improving food security and creating sustainable livelihoods.

Read more: https://ufsweb.co/4i4gtSy

Address

UFS, 205 Nelson Mandela Drive
Bloemfontein
9301

Opening Hours

Monday 07:45 - 16:30
Tuesday 07:45 - 16:30
Wednesday 07:45 - 16:30
Thursday 07:45 - 16:30
Friday 07:45 - 16:30

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