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05 September 2018
Excellent start for Kovsies and Mamburu
Khomotso Mamburu (right on photo) has been the star for the Kovsies in their first two matches of the Varsity Netball Series.

The Kovsie netball team – Khomotso Mamburu in particular – has had an excellent start to Varsity Netball 2018. Mamburu, who plays goal defence and wing defence, became the first Kovsie player in the history of the series to bag two Player of the Match awards consecutively.

The Kovsies won both their opening matches with ease. Their big win over the defending champions, Tuks, by 68-43 in August, was the biggest defeat the Pretoria students have ever suffered in the competition. 

The Kovsie netball team, who are the two-time champions of 2013 and 2014, also earned a bonus-point victory in August when they drubbed the University of Johannesburg by 69-29. The Kovsies are now joint first on the log.

They faced the Vaal University of Technology in the Callie Human Centre this past Sunday, followed by a meeting against the University of the Western Cape on Monday afternoon.

Khomotso, an LLB Law student who was voted Player of the Varsity Series last year, has received three Player of the Match awards, which is just one less than the Kovsie record of four held by Karla Pretorius, playing for the team from 2013 to 2015. 

Meanwhile Karla, a postgraduate student, is making huge strides overseas. Her club, Sunshine Coast Lightning, won the Australian league for a second consecutive year on Sunday. She was named in the Team of the Tournament as goal defence. Karla finished the tournament with 50 incepts, which were the most in the tournament. 

News Archive

Recognition to excellent researchers
2004-11-16

The University of the Free State will give recognition to excellent researchers at UFS on Tuesday 16 November 2004. “This recognition function will also serve as the first annual lecture in research excellence,” says Prof Frans Swanepoel, Director of Research Development Division at the UFS.

This is the first occasion of its kind in the UFS. It coincides with the university’s centenary celebrations. The recognition of excellent research shows the UFS’s commitment and innovative focus on research as one of its core functions,” says Prof. Swanepoel.

Recognition will be given in different categories. They are female researchers, black researchers, young researchers, C- and L-Rated researchers, researchers with significant research outputs, B-Rated researchers and distinguished professors in research.

The promotion of equity and development of research capacity of designated groups is one of the objectives of the UFS’s research strategy therefore the university is recognising the research achievements of 21 women and 16 black persons. Amongst these are Prof. Margaret Raftery (English and Classical Languages), Dr Liesl van As (Zoology and Entomology), Prof. Peter Mbati (head of the Qwaqwa campus) and Prof. Charles Ngwena (Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law).

The UFS is also recognising nine young researchers. They must hold a doctorate and have the potential to establish themselves as researchers within a five-year period based on their performance and productivity as researchers during their doctoral studies and/or early post-doctoral careers. Amongst them are Dr Esta van Heerden (Microbial Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) and Prof. André Jooste (Agricultural Economics).

Fifty-eight established researchers with a sustained recent record of productivity are receiving recognition in the C- and L-rated researchers’ category. Amongst them were Prof. Hennie van Coller (Afrikaans, Dutch, German and French) and Prof. Gert Erasmus (Animal- and Wildlife- and Grassland Sciences).

Prof. Francois Tolmie (New Testament) and Prof. Gina Joubert (Biostatistics) are two of the twelve researchers that are receiving recognition for having excelled in research outputs during recent years.

Nine researchers are acknowledged in the B-category for the international recognition they receive from their peers for the high quality and impact of their recent research outputs. Amongst them were Prof. Johan Grobbelaar (Plant Sciences) and Prof. Hendrik Swart (Physics). Prof. Grobbelaar focused in his research on limnology, algal biotechnology, plant stress and Prof. Swart focused on solid state physics and degradation mechanisms that are responsible for the degradation of field emission and TV displays.

Seven individuals are recognised for their exceptional achievements as researchers. Prof. Frederick Fourie, Rector, but previously in the Department of Economics, is recognised for his research in two policy areas: Political Economics, Government Finance and Fiscal Policy, and Industrial Economics, in particular analysis of the South African industrial structure and competition policy, where his research contributions played a key role in reforming South Africa’s competition policy.

Prof. Lodewyk Kock (Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) focuses in his research mainly on pure and oxidised edible oil where yeasts are used as a study model. He obtained national as well as international recognition for this research program.

The UFS is also awarding the S2A3 Bronze Medal to recognise a Master’s degree student who has delivered outstanding research in one of the sciences. Mr Pieter Taljaard and Ms Tania Venter are recognised in this category.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
 

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