Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Water quality the focus of international Summer School

01 April 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Sonia Small

Water is a basic resource upon which communities rely for their health, well-being, and economic development and growth. Many countries struggle with the negative consequences of poor surface-water quality, which may threaten their food security and livelihoods.

The Centre for Environmental Management at the University of the Free State recently co-presented the German-Southern African Summer School 2019 with the Dresden University, Germany, on its Bloemfontein Campus.

Discussions at the Summer School – attended by 66 delegates from Germany and Southern Africa – mainly focused on aquatic biomonitoring and included perspectives from Germany and Southern Africa.

Questions such as ‘How to improve water quality?’ and ‘What about the impact of the catchment area, land use, and agriculture on water quality?’ were discussed.

According to Marinda Avenant, Lecturer in the Centre for Environmental Management, a two-pronged approach is often used: first, ecosystem-based biomonitoring, and second, specialised water quality and toxicity-assessment methods applied at specific sites in order to identify problems.

Presenters from academia, government authorities, and the private sector shared theoretical concepts and practical experiences of establishing aquatic biomonitoring networks in Germany, South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini (Swaziland), and Zambia.

The Summer School focused on an integrated approach, including catchment processes, hydrology, geomorphology, and land use, as well as chemical and biological monitoring.

Delegates also undertook a field trip to Mokala National Park for a practical demonstration of water-quality monitoring as part of the programme.

The Volkswagen Foundation (Germany) funded the Summer School.

News Archive

UFS attracts excellent and diverse students

2015-08-20

Matshediso Mokoena and Thato Monkoe.
Photo: Thabo Kessah

When Thato Monkoe and Matshediso Mokoena sat for their final matric examinations in 2014, all they had on their minds was not just passing, but passing well. Little did they know at that time that passing well would place so much responsibility on their shoulders.

Both Thato and Matshediso come from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds. They are first-year students at the Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State, and are the first in their respective families to study at a university.

Thato describes his situation as “sad and good at the same time”.

“It is good, because I am the first one at home to have completed my matric and to have gone on to study at a tertiary institution. At the same time, it is sad as I feel sorry for my siblings who, for various reasons, did not have similar opportunities when they opted out of school”, said Thato, a BEd student.

”Now my sister and brother, as well as the entire family, perceive me as the one with brains, and this makes me uncomfortable. However, I am up for the challenge to be the first one to graduate with a degree in my family”.

Matshediso Mokoena, a BSc student, who obtained distinctions in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Life Sciences last year, concurs with Thato.

”As much as my family is supportive, there is always pressure as they expect the best from me,” she said.

“The pressure does not only come from my family. My entire community looks up to me, and they can’t stop talking about my achievements”, Matshediso revealed.

Both Thato and Matshediso are, however, happy that the dark cloud of doubt about academic achievement in their families has finally disappeared.

“At least someone in my family is hard at work carving her future, and willing to set a good example. That person is me”, said Matshediso, who aspires to be a medical doctor, and has a younger sister in Grade 8.

Thato and Matshediso are just two of hundreds of students making good use of the University of the Free State’s commitment to attract excellent and diverse students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as reflected in the Strategic Plan 2015-2020.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept