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News Items

2020-09-30	Social Work Student Association raise funds for Sunflower House
2020-09-30	Social Work Student Association raise funds for Sunflower House
2020-09-29	Can COVID-19 change us for the better?
2020-09-29	Can COVID-19 change us for the better?
2020-09-28	UFS’ Next Generation Sequencing Unit designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre
2020-09-28	UFS’ Next Generation Sequencing Unit designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre
2020-09-28	SA needs tough, bold decisions post-COVID-19
2020-09-28	SA needs tough, bold decisions post-COVID-19
2020-09-24	International Cultural Diversity Festival connects cultures
2020-09-24	International Cultural Diversity Festival connects cultures
2020-09-23	#HeritageDay: South African diversity a microcosm of the world
2020-09-23	#HeritageDay: South African diversity a microcosm of the world
2020-09-23	Legalising communal artisanal small-scale miners
2020-09-23	Legalising communal artisanal small-scale miners
2020-09-23	The Heritage of Hope
2020-09-23	The Heritage of Hope
2020-09-23	Third Amazing Race journey through Africa
2020-09-23	Third Amazing Race journey through Africa
2020-09-23	Can we use African Indigenous Knowledge to tackle COVID-19?
2020-09-23	Can we use African Indigenous Knowledge to tackle COVID-19?
2020-09-23	UFS hosts 2020 Virtual International Cultural Diversity Festival
2020-09-23	UFS hosts 2020 Virtual International Cultural Diversity Festival
2020-09-21	Update on developments at the UFS
2020-09-21	Update on developments at the UFS
2020-09-22	You too can get behind Ubuntu
2020-09-22	You too can get behind Ubuntu
2020-09-17	Nutrition in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
2020-09-17	Nutrition in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
2020-09-16	Student Affairs research colloquium: Connecting meaningfully in a digital world
2020-09-16	Student Affairs research colloquium: Connecting meaningfully in a digital world
2020-09-16	UFS hosts national #HeritageDay webinar with SA Poet Laureate
2020-09-16	UFS hosts national #HeritageDay webinar with SA Poet Laureate
2020-09-15	Plant breeding enhances crop improvement
2020-09-15	Plant breeding enhances crop improvement
2020-09-15	Your safety and survival key during kidnapping
2020-09-15	Your safety and survival key during kidnapping
2020-09-14	UFS part of new international digital humanities history project
2020-09-14	UFS part of new international digital humanities history project
2020-09-14	Kovsie sports star one of Mail & Guardian’s 200 exceptional young South Africans
2020-09-14	Kovsie sports star one of Mail & Guardian’s 200 exceptional young South Africans
2020-09-11	UFS dermatologist publishes first-ever comprehensive skin atlas
2020-09-11	UFS dermatologist publishes first-ever comprehensive skin atlas
2020-09-11	Black women’s hair: A political battlefield
2020-09-11	Black women’s hair: A political battlefield
2020-09-11	The ignored threat of fungal infections
2020-09-11	The ignored threat of fungal infections
2020-09-10	‘Do, Re, Mental Health’ – Harmonising Well-being with Music
2020-09-10	‘Do, Re, Mental Health’ – Harmonising Well-being with Music
2020-09-10	Dr Madiope participating in annual Adelaide Tambo lecture at TUT
2020-09-10	Dr Madiope participating in annual Adelaide Tambo lecture at TUT
2020-09-10	'Kamphoer' author delivers another compelling novel
2020-09-10	'Kamphoer' author delivers another compelling novel
2020-09-09	2020 UFS Thought-Leader Series: The South African Economy
2020-09-09	2020 UFS Thought-Leader Series: The South African Economy
2020-09-09	Call for contributions: 2020 International Cultural Diversity Festival
2020-09-09	Call for contributions: 2020 International Cultural Diversity Festival
2020-09-08	Finding safe havens for biodiversity in the eastern Free State
2020-09-08	Finding safe havens for biodiversity in the eastern Free State
2020-09-07	UFS and CUT research projects get funding
2020-09-07	UFS and CUT research projects get funding
2020-09-07	‘People must be at the centre of what we do’
2020-09-07	‘People must be at the centre of what we do’
2020-09-05	We are ready
2020-09-05	We are ready
2020-09-04	Return of students to campus during Level 2
2020-09-04	Return of students to campus during Level 2
2020-09-03	Opportunities revealed by COVID-19 for continuously developing a universally accessible university
2020-09-03	Opportunities revealed by COVID-19 for continuously developing a universally accessible university
2020-08-31	ITP Transformation Week: Call for Contributions
2020-08-31	ITP Transformation Week: Call for Contributions
2020-09-02	Faculty of Health Sciences welcomes donations of PPEs
2020-09-02	Faculty of Health Sciences welcomes donations of PPEs
2020-09-03	Virtual Graduation Ceremonies, 6-9 October 2020
2020-09-03	Virtual Graduation Ceremonies, 6-9 October 2020
2020-09-07	New biosafety laboratory to improve health quality
2020-09-07	New biosafety laboratory to improve health quality
2020-09-02	UFS postdoctoral fellow wins medal at international webinar
2020-09-02	UFS postdoctoral fellow wins medal at international webinar
2020-09-02	Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, visits the UFS
2020-09-02	Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, visits the UFS
2020-09-01	SAA, fly me to the moon
2020-09-01	SAA, fly me to the moon
2020-09-01	First-ever UFS winner of TEN Campaign Award says it will open doors to many learning opportunities for her
2020-09-01	First-ever UFS winner of TEN Campaign Award says it will open doors to many learning opportunities for her
2020-09-01	Devina Harry accepted into the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme
2020-09-01	Devina Harry accepted into the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme
2020-09-01	Intersectionality of womanhood unpacked in UFS Women’s Month webinar
2020-09-01	Intersectionality of womanhood unpacked in UFS Women’s Month webinar

News Archive

Department celebrates 50th anniversary

2009-03-25

The first Departmental Head and the subsequent Departmental Chairpersons at the dinner on 14 March this year. From left: Proff Bernard Prior (1991-1998), Piet Lategan (1962-1990), Derek Litthauer (1998-2002) and James du Preez (2002-). These are all the Heads/Chairpersons of the Department since its founding in 1959, with the exception of Prof Hans Potgieter who acted as Head during 1959-1962.
Photo: Stephen Collett

Department celebrates 50th anniversary

On 13 March the Department Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated its 50th anniversary in a splendid fashion with a lecture entitled, The origin of life: Exactly how did life begin? as part of the Darwin commemorative lecture series, followed by a reunion of current and former staff members and postgraduate students of the department with a barbeque on the following day.

The proceedings were concluded on 14 March with a gala dinner in die Centenary Complex at the UFS attended by 153 staff members, post-graduate students (current and former) and other guests. During the dinner the guests were treated to a presentation of historical photos of the founding and development of the department. Currently the department is one of the largest departments in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences in respect of the number of staff members and students as well as research outputs. This is the result of entrepreneurial actions to increase student numbers and research activities, as well as the merging with the smaller Department of Biochemistry in 1988 and more recently with the Department of Food Science in 2002. The department comprises 20 academics, 24 support staff and 65 postgraduate students. It also boasts 12 lecturers with ratings from the National Research Foundation (NRF), which include three academics with a B-rating, an indication of international recognition for their research. The department has the largest number of lecturers with an NRF-rating at the UFS.

“It was interesting to learn during the reunion of the variety of professions occupied by former students of the department, i.e. at other tertiary educational institutions, the CSSIR, SAPPI, Sasol and a multitude of other industries, as well as at research institutions in the USA and Australia,” said Prof. James du Preez, Head of the Department.

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