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29 April 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba
Government to enhance PhD production
University Staff Development Programme will capacitate PhD candidates in the tripartite Global Health programme.
Can you complete a PhD in three years? The answer is “yes!” However, a challenge of this magnitude requires a proper plan.The University Staff Doctorate Programme (USDP) will provide the blueprint for that plan to five high-calibre senior staff members at the University of the Free State (UFS) who have taken on the challenge to obtain PhDs.

What is the USDP?
The University of Venda and the University of Virginia in the US have partnered with our university to help transform South African academic expertise in Global Health. Leading the cohort is the UFS Office for International Affairs. This USDP project falls under the broader University Capacity Development Programme funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Candidates will be supported through mechanisms including an annual training school, visits to partner universities abroad, scholarships and reduced fees, interdisciplinary and inter-institutional co-supervision and expert advice, as well as parallel support for supervisors.

Members of the cohort
Chevon Slambee, Chief Internationalisation Officer at the Office for International Affairs, said: “These are established academics and role models in their respective areas of specialisation who have displayed strong leadership skills whilst showing a keen interest to collaborate with institutions in the US in order to advance their academic and professional careers.”

Our cohort comprises of Prof Riaz Seedat, Head: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Dr Steven Matshidza, Head: Orthopaedic Surgery; Prof Shisana Baloyi, Head: Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Dr Edwin Turton, Head of and Senior Lecturer at the Department Anaesthesiology; and Prof Makoali Makotoko, Head: Cardiology, who will be funded by the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Carving changemakers
Three years later, this cohort will fulfil the National Development Plan to have 75% of university academic staff holding PhDs and becoming the dominant drivers of new knowledge production within the higher education science and innovation system by 2030.

News Archive

Statement: Visit of the Portfolio Committee on Education to the UFS
2005-02-25

The chair of the Portfolio Committee on Education (PCE) Prof Shepherd Mayatula has commended the management of the University of the Free State (UFS) for its positive approach to the incorporation of the Vista and Qwaqwa campuses.

According to a statement issued by the university’s communication section, Prof Mayatula said that while there were outstanding issues to address, a platform had been created through the visit of the portfolio committee for the UFS to find solutions.

Speaking at the end of a visit to the Bloemfontein campus of the UFS, Prof Mayatula said: “You know the issues that exist between the three campuses and you know the solutions. You don’t need recommendations from the Committee.”

Earlier today the PCE held a three-way meeting between the PCE, the management of the UFS and the Vista Task Team, representing staff and students at the Bloemfontein campus of the former Vista University .
 

The Bloemfontein campus of the former Vista University was incorporated into the UFS in January 2004.

The multi-party delegation from the PCE was led by its chairperson, Prof S Mayatula, while the delegation from the UFS was led by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie, while the Vista Task Team was lead by Mr Paseka Mokoena.

Following a presentation by the Vista Task Team and a presentation by the UFS management, other committee members also commended the UFS for the spirit in which outstanding issues were being handled.

It was indicated by portfolio committee members that other universities have far more serious problems than the UFS, and that some of these universities have also been visited by the PCE. The UFS appears to be on the road to be an important pilot case for incorporations and mergers.

The issues that were discussed during today’s meeting included the following:

  • outstanding issues in the process of incorporating the Bloemfontein campus of the former Vista University into the UFS, including:
  • staff issues and conditions of service
  • issues of student aid and pipeline students
  • governance of the UFS
  • the long term utilisation of Vista as a site

The Rector and Vice-chancellor of the UFS, Prof Fourie, expressed his appreciation for the role played by the Portfolio Committee on Education in bringing about a common understanding of the transformation issues facing the UFS.

Prof Fourie said the Portfolio Committee’s visit was a useful intervention to bring about a sense of urgency in resolving matters affecting the Vista campus as well as the Qwaqwa campus.

Issued by: Mr Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
Cell: 072-207-8334
Tel: 051-401-2749
25 February 2005

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