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04 October 2018 | Story UFS | Photo UFS
Prof Ashok Chapagain, recently appointed as Senior
Prof Ashok Chapagain, recently appointed as Senior Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State, is looking forward to working with key water-related sectors.
Prof Ashok Chapagain has recently been appointed as Senior Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS). 

Water hub key in collaborations with research institutes

According to Prof Chapagain, the position provides a unique opportunity to help establish the university at the forefront of water research in South Africa. He is looking forward to cross-departmental collaborations on innovative research projects working with key water-related sectors, such as agriculture, business, mining etc., and establishing a water hub that would be key in external collaborations with other research institutes in South Africa and beyond.

Prior to his formal appointment at the UFS, Prof Chapagain has been remotely involved with the Department of Agricultural Economics since 2017 through his support to a number of research projects funded by the Water Research Commission (WRC). 

He is experienced in managing and coordinating international and interdisciplinary projects, ensuring technical quality and project delivery. He has vast cultural and geographical work experience, and specific water-related experience in the fields of integrated water resource management, water footprint assessment, industrial and agricultural efficiency and sustainability, irrigation, hydrology and watershed modelling, flood-risk management, river-basin planning and management, and environmental impact assessment. He has recently left the Water Footprint Network (The Netherlands), where he worked in the capacity of Science Director. Prior to joining the WFN, Prof Chapagain worked as Senior Water Adviser at WWF-UK for about six years.

Systems approach to address water issues

Prof Chapagain holds a PhD in the field of Water Resources Management and Policy Analysis from Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands), an MSc degree in Water and Environmental Resources Management from UNESCO- IHE Institute for Water Education (The Netherlands), and a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from IIT Roorkee (India). His professional career of 28 years can be broadly grouped under two inter-related blocks: development projects for 10 years (as an irrigation engineer in Nepal); research and application for 18 years (academia for eight years and applied work for 10 years in the Netherlands and UK). During his MSc and PhD research, he specialised in water resources and environmental management, integrated river-basin management, policy analysis, and systems analysis.

He regularly reviews articles for several scientific journals. Currently he serves as the Editor-in-Chief for the recently launched open access scientific journal H2Open, published by IWA Publishing. In addition, he serves as editor for five scientific journals, and frequently guest edits specific issues for peer-reviewed scientific journals. He has published four books, and 64 other articles and reports (25 scientific journal articles, 40 papers in conference proceedings, book chapters, and technical reports). His publications are widely cited, with 10 436 citations, and has an h-index of 34 and i10-index of 44. He applies a system approach in addressing issues on water, energy, and food securities, where managing local resources also includes global dimensions where key stakeholders are often cross-sectoral and situated outside the boxes. He has been involved in many national and international projects as a team leader, project leader, and international expert in several Asian, European, and South American countries.

For more information about Prof Chapagain and his role in the Department of Agricultural Economics, please contact Prof Chapagain at ChapagainAK@ufs.ac.za, or Dr Frikkie Maré at MareFA@ufs.ac.za or +27 51 401 2824 

News Archive

UFS hosts sign language workshop to educate parents
2017-05-22

Description: Sign language workshop to educate parents Tags: Sign language workshop to educate parents

Back row; from left; John Keitsemore from
Bartimea School for the Deaf; Philip Cook,
the headmaster at De la Bat School for the
Deaf in Worcester; Jeannie Cook, De la Bat School
for the Deaf; front, from left; Marisa Vermeulen, mother
of two deaf children and teacher at Bartimea
School for the Deaf in Thaba Nchu; Marianne Kühn,
audiologist, and Susan Lombaard, acting Head of the
Department of South African Sign Language.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

“Ninety percent of deaf children are born into hearing families. When parents first receive the news, they are shocked, angry and confused,” says Susan Lombaard, Acting head of the Department of South African Sign Language at the University of the Free State (UFS).

The department hosted a workshop, “Early intervention options for the child with a hearing loss”, on Friday 12 May 2017 on the Bloemfontein Campus. “It is the first time a sign language workshop of this kind was hosted by the Department of South African Sign Language at the UFS,” says Lombaard, who facilitated the workshop. They hope to make it an annual event.

Parents of deaf children do not always know how they will communicate with their children or where the child must attend school. The workshop aimed to provide parents with the necessary information on different communication options and also touched on school placement.

Support group for parents established
A support group for parents was also established, the first of its kind in the province. It will provide much-needed support, information and guidance for parents of deaf children.

Some of the speakers at the workshop included Anri Esterhuizen, an audiologist; Marianne Kühn from the Carel du Toit Centre, Marisa Vermeulen, who is a mother of two deaf children, and Phillip Cook, the headmaster at De la Bat School for the Deaf in Worcester, in the Western Cape. Jeannie Cook, also a presenter, provided information on sign language acquisition of the small deaf child, which is done through creative play.

Professionals have responsibility
South African Sign Language is a language in its own right and is not international. “Sign language is a visual language with its own grammar and syntax different from spoken language,” Lombaard said.

There has been much controversy surrounding teaching deaf children to speak and teaching them to sign. “We as professionals have the responsibility to provide information on all options. This is to help the parent make informed decisions about communication and school placement.”

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