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24 May 2018

Programme

Thousands of Grade 12 learners, teachers, parents, principals, and members of the broader community are expected to descend on the Qwaqwa Campus on Saturday 26 May 2018 for the annual Open Day.

This year’s programme will ensure that future Kovsies gather as much academic information as possible. Also available in the Rolihlahla Mandela Hall will be all the administrative services, including Financial Aid, Tuition Fees, Housing and Residence Affairs, the Health and Wellness Centre, etc.
 
The programme will start with the first information session in the different faculties from 09:00 to 10:00. The second session will commence at 11:00-12:00. On entering the campus, learners will go to the gazebos in front of the Intsika Building to get the campus map and the programme for the day.

Teachers, principals, and parents are invited to engage with Professor Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor. This programme is scheduled for 12:00-14:00 in E14, Sedibeng Education Building. 

Learners will also have an opportunity to apply for the 2019 academic year. 

News Archive

Darwin lecture focuses on the genetic foundation of evolution
2009-05-22

 
The Department of Genetics at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently made their contribution to the story of life and survival by presenting two lectures on The genetic foundation of evolution. Prof. Johan Spies, Head of the Department of Genetics at the UFS discussed the variation that was created by mutations and how this variation was enhanced by re-combination. He also pointed out that these methods contributed relatively little to the gene pool of a species and that the expansion of the gene pool primarily took place by means of chromosome evolution. The latter also contributed to the creation of isolation mechanisms to prevent hybridism. He further emphasised the multitude of deviations of mendelian heredity, which contributed to more variation within a species.

Prof. Paul Grobler, Associate Professor from this department, next pointed out how natural selection played a role to form new species. He used various examples to indicate how the process took its course, for example, lactose intolerance. He also reported out that the man on the street mostly believed that Darwin with his theory of the survival of the fittest meant that the physically strongest species would survive. It was more a case of the one that could reproduce the fastest and the most, that would survive, he stated.

Present at the occasion were, from left front: Ms Letecia Jonker, student, Prof. Grobler, Ms Paula Spies, lecturer at the Department of Genetics and Ms Zurika Odendaal, junior lecturer at the Department of Genetics; back: Prof. Spies.
Photo: Stephen Collett

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