University of the Free State
 University of the Free State  (University)    | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto | In Veritate Sapientiae Lux (In Truth is the Light of Wisdom) |
| Formation | 1950 |
| Headquarters | Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa |
| Type | Public university |
| Other name | Kovsies |
| Former Afrikaans university which made English the primary medium of instruction in 2016. | |
The University of the Free State is a multi campus public university in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State and the judicial capital of South Africa. It was first established as an institution of higher learning in 1904 as a tertiary section of Grey College.[1] It was declared an independent Afrikaans-language university in 1950 and the name was changed to the University of the Orange Free State. The university has two satellite campuses. Initially a whites-only precinct, the university was fully de-segregated in 1996.
Language policy
After the defeat of the Boers by the British in 1902 the Orange Free State became known as the Orange River Colony during which time the official language was changed from Dutch to English. Therefore, when the Grey University College was founded in 1904, the language medium was English. However, Dutch was one of the subjects taught at the college from the very beginning. Language activists in favor of Afrikaans made it possible for the language to be accepted as one of the subjects at the college as a "supplementary subject to Dutch" in 1919 when Afrikaans became a popular subject. In 1950 the University of the Orange Free State (UOFS) was established and the official medium language was Afrikaans.[2] The name of the university again changed in 2001 to the University of the Free State as it is known today.[3] Although a bilingual language policy (Afrikaans & English) were introduced since 1993 it was formalized in 2003. However, the university decided to make English the primary medium of instruction in 2016. This decision was jointly challenged by civil rights group AfriForum and Solidarity (South African trade union) but the decision to remove Afrikaans was upheld by the Constitutional Court of South Africa in 2017; when the judgment favored the university's new language policy which has been implemented since then.[4]
Alumni on Wikispooks
| Person | Born | Nationality | Summary | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maria de Goeij | Netherlands | Deep state operative | Integrity Initiative/Institute for Statecraft polyglot | |
| Robert du Plooy | 5 July 1921 | South Africa | Diplomat Deep state operative | South African deep state operative/diplomat who attended Le Cercle in South Africa in 1984. |
