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14 June 2018
Photo Charl Devenish
Graduates will be celebrating their accomplishments at the June Graduation ceremonies.
June 2018 graduates from the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus are beginning to prepare for their upcoming graduations. The ceremonies are scheduled to take place at the Callie Human Centre from Wednesday 27 June until Friday 29 June 2018.
The UFS plans to document and highlight the special moments that graduates encounter at this time. A daily update accompanied by photos will be available on the UFS website.
Visit the UFS graduation ceremonies page for more information on the upcoming events. Graduates and students are free to familiarise themselves with the Graduation Guide Booklet which stipulates the necessary information for students to note during the graduation processions.
The Graduate Career Guide is also of vital importance as it equips graduates with fundamental knowledge and practical advice about preparing for the world of work.
A livestream link will be provided for the different graduation processions closer towards the time.
Graduation ceremonies for the different faculties take place on the following dates:
Wednesday 27 June 2018
09:00 School of Financial Planning Law
All qualifications.
Programme
14:30 School of Open and Distance Learning
Certificates
Programme
Thursday 28 June 2018
09:00 All faculties except for Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Master’s and doctoral degrees
Programme
14:30 Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Master’s and doctoral degrees
Programme
Friday 29 June 2018
09:00 NO SESSION
14:30 School of Open and Distance Learning
Diplomas
Programme
#Women'sMonth: Lack of HIV education still affects children
2017-08-17
Dr Nickie Goedhals, Senior Lecturer and Pathologist
in Medical Microbiology and Virology at the UFS.
Photo: Sonia Small
“Despite all the advances in the management and prevention of HIV, children still become infected every day, often due to lack of education and access to health care.” This is according to Dr Nickie Goedhals, Senior Lecturer and Pathologist in Medical Microbiology and Virology at the University of the Free State (UFS).
Study published in UK medical Journal
A case study she was part of and published in the UK medical journal The Lancet in 2012, demonstrates the transmission of HIV to a child through surrogate breastfeeding. This study is one of the many highlights in the young researcher’s career. She received her first rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) in 2017 for the work she has done in Medical Virology over the past eight years.
According to the above-mentioned study, only about 1% of infants in South Africa are being breastfed by a surrogate. However, results from a study in the Free State showed that shared breastfeeding by a non-biological caregiver was the most important factor associated with HIV infection in discordant mother-child pairs. Therefore, continued education about the risk of HIV transmission is needed.
Dr Goedhals is also continuing with research on HIV by looking at HIV drug resistance. She is in the process of starting new projects focusing on HIV infection and drug resistance in infants.
PSP helped with NRF-rating
She says, although her NRF Y2-rating is the starting point of a research career, it shows that she is heading in the right direction, and it “gives access to research funds through the NRF for future projects.” Other important research she conducted was on Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever – the study for her PhD.
The Prestige Scholars Programme (PSP) at the UFS is the reason that she applied for the rating. “With all the service delivery, teaching, and administrative responsibilities of academic medicine, it is easy to lose focus. The PSP has really helped to create a focused and stimulating environment for research.” According to her, the PSP also provides access to a network of peers and senior staff at the UFS, as well as exposure to national and international experts.