Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
14 February 2018
Photo Moeketsi Mogotsi
Kovsie students in the process of building their Eco vehicles
The countdown has begun to the Kovsie-ACT music festival that will take place on 17 February 2018 at the Cross Country Fields.
With just a few days left before the main event where students and the community will be wowed by performances from the likes of Prince Kaybee, Jack Parow and Shekinah, students can look forward to the "Social Cohesion" college festivities namely: the West College Project Neon party, East College Graduation party, Central College Yellow party, South College Feballoween party, North College Cowboys and Crooks party, and finally the Kovsie-ACT Fiesta Mexican party.
Each day leading up to the main event, senior on-campus residence students will be working on the building of their various Eco vehicles. Students will be grouped in their designated colleges at the UFS Rag Farm, with the support of the first-years, pending the Eco vehicle race that takes place on Friday 16 February 2018 from 13:00. The ACT office is working towards obtaining sponsors for the overall winners of the race. Their aim is to give the college that wins the race a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend an official international car race, where they will be represented by their residence committees. The following race criteria apply:
Race criteria:
| Drag race | Fastest time taken to cover distance wins |
| Slalom race | Fastest time taken to complete course minus penalties |
| Obstacle course | Fastest time taken to complete course wins (Obstacles will be introduced on the day, no preparation) |
| Three lap-race | No winner, just preparation for final endurance race but drivers must change each lap |
| Endurance race | Longest distance covered |
Students will also be working on art projects in the form of a canvas that must be made of waste materials such as plastic, scrap metal and/or sustainable organic materials. The work must be between three and five metres high and two to four metres wide. It should be durable and not perish if it is placed outdoors for a year. It must be accompanied by a manifesto that explains the theme and symbolism of the artwork so that the five colleges can effectively illustrate what is important to them and their community.
First-year students have also been assigned to participate in projects that engage with local secondary schools in the Bloemfontein area. The content of the projects will be directed through a short learning programme that will take place during the course of the year.
The Kovsie ACT team looks forward to the activities at the Rag Farm, and encourages students to attend and take part in their numbers. For more information about Kovsie ACT visit the UFS Rag page or the Ofm official website.
First postgraduate degree in Forensic Genetics in Africa
2010-03-19
 |
At the launch were, from the left, front: Ms Christa Swanepoel (Applied Biosystems), Ms Karen Ehlers (Department of Genetics, UFS), Dr Carolyn Hancock and Ms Vanessa Lynch (both from DNA Project). Middle row: Dr. Sphie Mukwana (Director: Biotech Forensics, Kenya), Mr Pierre Joubert (Director: SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory) and Prof. Johan Spies (Chairperson: Department of Genetics, UFS). Back row: Mr Izak van Niekerk (Southern Cross Biotechnologies) and Mr Loen Ehlers (National Prosecution Authority).
Photo: Stephen Collett |
The Department of Genetics at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently launched the first postgraduate degree offered by a tertiary institution in Forensic Genetics in Africa.
“We are at the beginning of something special. The UFS has developed the programme with the aim of providing graduates with the skills and knowledge they would require to work in the field of forensic biology. These graduates will be the first group of professionals that have undergone tertiary training in order to assist in the resolution of crime through forensic science in South Africa. It has also put the UFS in the forefront of training of this nature,” said Prof. Johan Spies, the departmental chairperson.
According to Mr Pierre Joubert, Director at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Pretoria, students trained in this programme would easily be employed by the FSL since they would have the appropriate applied and technical training in forensic science.
Currently the FSL has no personnel with degrees in forensic science in its employ. It employs B.Sc. graduates in the fields of microbiology, genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry as forensic analysts. These employees then go through an extensive supplementary training programme for about six months.
Dr Sophie Mukwana, Director of Biotech Forensics in Kenya, said the launch of this programme in South Africa would benefit African countries like Kenya which relied on the USA for this kind of training. She said they hoped to partner with the UFS in this venture.
Applied Biosystems and Southern Cross Biotechnology have donated the necessary equipment to the UFS for this training.
“It is not only important that students should see the equipment but they should also know how to operate it,” said Ms Vanessa Lynch, from the DNA Project.
The DNA Project, in conjunction with the FSL and the UFS, has developed the learning materials which will be presented at the UFS from 2011.
Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za
19 March 2010