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08 March 2018 Photo Zenzele Mdletshe
Pilot Wingman programme launched
Social and cultural integration are at the heart of the newly launched internationalisation programme.
The University of the Free State (UFS) launched its pilot Wingman programme on 16 February 2018 at the Bloemfontein Campus. The programme, which is jointly coordinated by the Office for International Affairs and the Student Representative Council (SRC): International Student Council, aims to advance the social integration of local and international students. 

Bulelwa Moikwatlhai, coordinator and UFS international student adviser, explained that the programme assisted international students with their transition into student life and culture. “Students need to remember the three key pillars of the programme   meaningful and lifelong friendships, academic excellence, and social and cultural integration.” 

The Vice-Rector: Research, Prof Corli Witthuhn, assured the students the university was committed to their emotional and physical wellbeing. She further expressed her enthusiasm at seeing the programme expanded to include all first-year international students. 

Cornelius Hagenmeier, the UFS Director: Internationalisation said: “The University is committed to internationalisation at home. This is the purposeful integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the formal and informal curriculum for all students within domestic learning environments.” 

The International Affairs SRC representative, Andrei-Tendai Kwenda, emphasised the value the programme added to international student life and complimented the students for pioneering the programme.

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Prof. Johan Grobbelaar part of history
2010-09-23

Prof. Johan Grobbelaar from the Department of Plant Sciences at the recent 31st Congress of the International Limnological Society (SIL), which was held in Cape Town.
Photo: Supplied

The 31st Congress of the International Limnological Society (SIL) was recently held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

Prof. Johan Grobbelaar from the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), who is also the chairperson of the local organising committee (LOC), worked hard for six years to secure the bid to host the congress in South Africa. The LOC consisted of Prof. Grobbelaar, Prof. Brian Allanson, Prof. Jenny Day, Dr Carin van Ginkel and Dr Mike Silberbauer.

SIL was founded in 1922 to further the study and understanding of all aspects of limnology, the science of inland aquatic ecosystems and their management.

Congresses are held every three years and this was the first time that SIL met on the African continent.

Almost 400 delegates from 42 countries attended this congress where the state of the science of limnology was presented with two keynote speakers, six plenary lectures, 230 oral and 76 poster presentations, mostly running in five parallel sessions. Exhibitions displayed some of South Africa’s role players as well as the latest equipment from abroad. Delegates could also join pre- and post-congress excursions and the new SIL journal, Inland Waters, was launched at the congress.

Many of the presentations dealt with water as a limited resource, pollution problems and the impact of climate change. The congress resolved that SIL would play a more prominent role in creating awareness of problems impacting on inland waters and also afforded solutions. The 32nd SIL congress will be held in Budapest, Hungary in 2013.
 

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