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27 January 2018 Photo Supplied
Physics excels in Afrikaans Academy for Science and Art symposium
UFS postgraduate students in the Department of Physics attended the Student Symposium of the Afrikaans Academy for Science and Art. From the left are Izak van der Westhuizen (PhD) and Hélène Szegedi (MSc), who both came in second place in their respective sessions. On the right of the banner are Dina Oosthuizen (PhD) and Lucas Erasmus (MSc),who claimed first place in their respective sessions.

Every year postgraduate students from all universities and universities of technology in the country are invited to participate in the student symposium of the Afrikaans Academy for Science and Art.

Honours, master's, and doctoral students from different universities in different scientific fields, including chemistry, physics, computer science, engineering, geography, medicine, etc. participated in the symposium. From the Department of Physics at the University of the Free State (UFS), Dina Oosthuizen (PhD) won a first prize in session 1, Hélène Szegedi (MSc) won second prize in session 2, where Lucas Erasmus (MSc) claimed first place and Izak van der Westhuizen (PhD) took second place in session 3.

'We love what we do'

Students from the UFS do incredibly well each year at this symposium. “These achievements speak of the excellent education and training we receive, especially in the department. Physics students not only have lecturers and supervisors who are well-respected in their own research fields but have access to world-class instruments in our physics laboratories. We also love what we do and see it as a privilege to share our work.

“The symposium is also an opportunity to gain valuable experience in presenting our own research as well as getting exposure to various research topics, methods and scientific disciplines,” said Hélène Szegedi, who is a junior lecturer in the Department of Physics

 

"We love what we do
and see it as a privilege
to share our work."
Hélène Szegedi
Lecturer in the
Department of Physics


Symposium unique on many levels



Although every participant has to present in Afrikaans, it is not only Afrikaans-speaking students who participate in the symposium. Szegedi said: “The language requirement for the symposium does, however, create the opportunity to develop Afrikaans further as a science language, and we sometimes have to coin new words or terms to describe our research, making this symposium unique and beneficial on many levels.”

Read a preview of the research presentation here.

News Archive

Quantity Surveying celebrates many firsts
2014-10-20

 

From the left are: Pierre Oosthuizen, Prof Kajimo-Shakantu and Dr Stephan Ramabodu
Photo: Ifa Tshishonge



The Department of Quantity Surveying at the University of the Free State (UFS) has much to be proud of. With Prof Kahilu Kajimo-Shakantu as Head of the Department of Quantity Surveying, the department is celebrating several firsts.

For the first time, the department has four academics with PhDs. This includes Prof Kajimo-Shakantu, Dr Stephan Ramabodu, Dr Timothy Froise and Dr Benita Zulch. It is also the first time that this department is managed by a woman.

Furthermore, the Department of Quantity Surveying has performed very well at this year’s national Quantity Surveying Conference held in Pretoria, where they walked away with four of the seven awards.

The awards were:

•    Best presenter: Pierre Oosthuizen (lecturer)
•    Most innovative presenter: Pierre Oosthuizen (lecturer)
•    Best paper on engineering projects: Prof Kahilu Kajimo-Shakantu
•    Best academic paper: T Monyane (postgraduate student) and Dr Stephan Ramabodu (lecturer)

The South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP) also presented two prestigious life achievement awards. One of these were bestowed upon Prof Basie Verster from the UFS for his contribution to quantity surveying since the 1970s.

The university is especially proud of Dr Stephen Ramabodu, lecturer in the Department of Quantity Surveying, who completed his PhD this year. This makes of him the highest qualified quantity surveyor in the department and one of only a few holders of a quantity surveying PhD in the country. Dr Ramabodu is also registered with the South African Council for Quantity Surveying Professionals.

Prof Kajimo-Shakantu said the following of Dr Ramabodu. “Since 2002, Stephan was appointed as a lecturer in a programme called Grow Your Own Timber at the UFS. Later on, he went to Cape Town to gain some commercial experience, where he worked for Davis Langdon in 2005. In 2008, he returned to the Free State, where he established Ramabodu & Associates. Later on in the same year, he returned to the UFS as a lecturer to complete all the remaining milestones of the Grow Your Own Timber programme.

“The university looks forward to Stephen’s increased responsibilities and contributions, not only in teaching and learning, but also in research, mentoring and community engagement.”


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