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22 February 2018 Photo Johan Roux
UFS professor recognised as one of Africa exceptional young scientists Prof Abdon Atangana
Prof Abdon Atangana is from the University of the Free State’s Institute for Groundwater Studies.

Prof Abdon Atangana from the University of the Free State’s Institute for Groundwater Studies was recently announced by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) as one of 25 early career scientists who were elected to form part of the third cohort of the AAS Affiliates Programme, which recognises exceptional young African scientists.

The Affiliates will be part of the AAS membership pool from 2018 to 2022, during which time they will be supported to attend conferences, symposia and workshops and other activities that will improve their skills in proposal development, grant writing and pitching innovations to help them win more grants, improve their publication records and ensure that their research impacts their communities.

Brilliant minds

“We welcome the new cohort that represents some of the brilliant minds from the continent. The AAS is committed to ensuring that they are provided with the opportunities they need to develop their careers and contribute to the development of the continent,” said AAS Executive Director Prof Nelson Torto.

The third cohort saw the most competitive pool yet with an overwhelming number of nominations from across the five regions of the continent of PhD holders below the age of 40. This year’s Affiliates are also drawn from countries not covered in the previous two cohorts including, Ethiopia, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Other countries from which the 25 were selected are Benin, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, South Africa and Uganda.

Besides mathematical sciences, Affiliates also represent disciplines that include cultural sciences, humanities and social sciences, medical and health sciences, agricultural sciences, biosciences and geological, environmental, Earth and space sciences.

World class research leaders

The AAS is a pan-African organisation headquartered in Kenya, that aims to drive sustainable development in Africa through science, technology and innovation. The AAS set up the Affiliates programme in 2015 to recognise, mentor and help early career professionals develop into world-class research leaders.

News Archive

SRC outlines direction for students at the UFS
2009-09-29

This week, the Student Representative Councils (SRC) of the Main and Qwaqwa Campuses of the University of the Free State (UFS) announced the direction that the student community would follow during their term of office.

Following various difficult situations in the process to diversify the student body and to foster integration among students during the last term of office, the student leaders firstly engaged on prevailing stereotypes among students.

They considered shared values that would assist the student community in building a united spirit and healthy student life on the campuses.

The SRC reached consensus that all students should strive to realise and inspire the following values in student life:

  • Excellence
  • Innovation
  • Respect
  • Counter-cultural leadership
  • Equality

This year the SRC will focus the attention of the university as a whole, but specifically that of the student body on:

  • Growing international competitiveness
  • Promoting continuously meaningful leadership
  • Rolling out broad-based leadership development of all students
  • Social integration of all and diverse groups
  • Developing academic programmes with a broader perspective

The SRC wishes to contribute in building an institution where students grow to maturity through meaningful leadership and total student development.

They seek an environment where students are continuously intellectually stimulated through research-based activities and where student skills development is maximised by evolving a common curriculum.

The student leaders furthermore resolved that they want graduates of the university to differentiate themselves by their distinctive leadership ability

They expect that the university community will exhibit a human-centred focus on reconciliation and on the transformation and integration of diverse groups and that all stakeholder groups will receive equitable opportunities.

In the final instance they envisage that the university will continue to grow as an institution that is respected and internationally recognised.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Deputy Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
25 September 2009

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