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03 July 2018 Photo Rulanzen Martin
Prof Peacock elected president of World Society of Victimology
Prof Robert Peacock from the Department of Criminology has recently been elected president of the World Society of Victimology.

Prof Robert Peacock was recently elected as the new president of the World Society of Victimology (WSV) in Hong Kong recently and is the first from Africa to serve in the position. His term runs until 2021. Prof Peacock is head of the Department of Criminology at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Prof Peacock is particularly excited about the positioning of the Department of Criminology as a strategic partner of the WSV and key roleplayer on the African continent and broader scientific communities. 

“I am excited to share our African values of interconnectedness as the art of being human in our scientific endeavours to protect and advance the collective well-being of our respective communities, scientific and otherwise,” he said.

His vision for the organisation is to “advance peace and justice on the planet through the development of reciprocal relationships between the global South and North”. “In the past, Africa and her broader communities were misrepresented in the context of academic privilege and status.”

WSV is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation with Special Category consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and the Council of Europe. It has been instrumental in developing and operationalising the United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power with the aim of improving victims’ access to justice, fair treatment, restitution, compensation and support, as well as taking steps to prevent victimisation linked to the abuse of power. 

News Archive

Oncology department celebrates 50 years of excellence
2017-09-07

  Description: Oncology photo Tags: Oncology, cancer, University of the Free State, UFS, Dr Alicia Sherriff, Faculty of Health Sciences

The UFS Department of Oncology celebrated 50 years of
existence. Prof Louis Goedhals says that the department
is like a family that will carry and support you.
Photo: Wendy Ruth
 



South Africa could see an increase of 78% in the number of cancer cases by 2030 and from a global perspective, a 75% increase is expected, increasing the total incidence of all new cancer cases from 12.7 million in 2008 to 22.2 million by 2030, according to a recent study published by medical journal Lancet. According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), more than 100 000 South Africans are diagnosed each year. It is rather comforting that the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Health Sciences has an Oncology department that has been fighting cancer for 50 years. 

Excellence over the decades 
The 50-year celebration of the Department of Oncology took place at the UFS Centenary Complex on the Bloemfontein Campus on 19 August 2017. The auspicious event was attended by UFS Faculty of Health Sciences registrars, radiation oncology radiographers and professional nurses who had trained in the department over the past 50 years, as well as the current departmental staff.

Dr Alicia Sherriff, Head of the Department of Oncology welcomed the dignitaries and thanked everyone for their attendance and dedication to the department, Prof Louis Goedhals, the oldest surviving head of department, gave a summary of the 50 years. He said once you were involved with this department you became part of a family that would carry and support you. Memories were shared and friendships rekindled. The message of this department that stood the test of time was: “To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always … and to bring hope”.

UFS dignitaries reveled in the moment 

Among the special guests were the Rector and Vice Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, Prof Gert van Zyl, Dean of Faculty of Health Sciences; the Free State MEC for Health Mr Butana Komphela, and CEO of Universitas Hospital Dr Marcus Molokomme, were invited. The function was well attended by personnel, graduates from as far as Portugal, and dignitaries from the university. There was a sense of unity and belonging among all the attendees and enthusiastic catching up over the years that have passed.

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