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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.
Prof. Dingie Janse van Rensburg promoted to Outstanding Professor
2007-11-19
The University of the Free State (UFS) is pleased to announce that Prof. Dingie Janse van Rensburg, Director of the Centre for Health Systems Research and Development has been promoted to Outstanding Professor.
In 1991 the Executive Committee of the Council introduced the category of Outstanding Professor to give recognition to a small group of outstanding academics. Not many academics at the UFS received this status since then.
Prof. Janse van Rensburg has been working at the UFS for 37 years and played a big role in establishing a culture of scientific publication among young and upcoming researchers.
Prof. Janse van Rensburg enjoys extensive national and international recognition as researcher and research manager. He delivered various national and international papers and is involved in a variety of international research projects – some of which were initiated by him. He succeeded in involving a variety of foreign researchers in long term research projects.
In 1993 he established an entrepreneurial research and development centre, which he has sustained for more than 13 years. The centre enjoys recognition nationally as well as internationally as well as credibility in the eyes of the international donor community, within government’s health sphere as well as in peer academic circles.
Prof. Janse van Rensburg has for several years been a grant holder of both the National Research Foundation and the Medical Research Council for research projects on Tuberculosis and HIV/Aids.
During his career at the UFS Prof. Janse van Rensburg received several merit awards and commendations from the UFS and other institutions. These include the Stals Prize in 1993 from the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, a Council Medal from the UFS in 2003, the UFS Centenary Medal in 2004, an award from the Department of Health in 2004 for excellence and continued support of this department, a promotion to Senior Professor from the UFS in 2005 and the Free State Premier’s Excellence Award Gold category in 2006 for excellence in research and development.
Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
19 November 2007