Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
19 August 2019 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Ayanda Makhanya
Entrepreneurship Intervarsity
Entrepreneurship Intervarsity finalists, far left, Christopher Rothman, and second from right, Grace Mthembu, with fellow Kovsie competitors Driaan-Lou Kemp, second from left, and Martin Clarke, far right, at the regional finals held at the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein in early August 2019.
A natural heating and cooking system and liquid yeast in its purest form – used in the brewing of beer – form the basis of two innovative business ventures that have earned their inventors a place in the finals of this year’s Entrepreneurship Intervarsity.

LiquidCulture

Christopher Rothman is currently busy with his PhD in Biotechnology at the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State (UFS). He and a fellow student started the company LiquidCulture last year to make high-quality yeast for their own commercial brewery called Kraft Brewing Co. 

“We realised that because of our backgrounds as microbiologists, we could grow our own yeast, have a better quality product, and save some money while also expanding our choice of yeast strains to use. This quickly became more than a solution to our own problems, as other breweries were also interested in using our yeast. We then formed LiquidCulture and started supplying the industry,” says Christopher.

Organic Heat

Grace Mthembu’s inspiration for her eco-friendly, cost-effective heating and cooking device, came after reading about devastating fires in rural and informal settlements caused by cooking fires.

“I decided to investigate the cause of these fires and found that the majority of the households did not have access to electricity or they couldn’t afford it,” explains Grace.
Her invention is based on the traditional metal cylinder or “imbawula”, used by many households in informal settlements to cook or heat with wood or coal. What makes her invention different is that it has a water filtration interior system which makes it safer and ensures that the smoke produced during the heating of the sources does not get released into the home and the air in general.

Her invention has already earned her awards for best community development, best mechanical engineering and best rural development project in the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, plus a gold medal and all-expenses-paid trip to represent South Africa at the London International Youth Science Fair.
She plans to establish a brand for the system with the name “Organic Heat”.

Student entrepreneurs showcased
  
The Entrepreneurship Intervarsity gives student entrepreneurs from across the country’s 26 public universities the opportunity to submit their innovative ideas as part of a competition supported by Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE), in collaboration with the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation.
Both Christopher and Grace see it as a great honour to represent the UFS in the finals, which will be held in Johannesburg on 18 September 2019. 

“The intervarsity has been fun thus far and the quality of the competitors is really high. Luckily I like public speaking and I am really passionate about my company so pitching to the judges has been very comfortable for me so far,” says Christopher. 

“I’m not obsessed about winning,” says Grace. “I’m looking forward to networking and connecting and building relationships with potential investors. If I do happen to win, it will obviously be amazing and will provide me with a lot of exposure and bring opportunities.”

News Archive

Anxiety about losing a loved one to death culminates in runner-up prize at Sasol New Signatures Art Competition
2014-09-15

 

Adelheid Camilla von Maltitz
Photo: Supplied

Adelheid Camilla von Maltitz – a lecturer at our Department of Fine Arts – has been awarded the runner-up prize at the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition. Her sculptural piece, ‘Bodies’, explores the process of mourning and loss and the grey areas between life and death.

The Sasol New Signatures Art Competition is recognised as the country’s longest running art competition. The competition has kick-started the careers of some of South Africa's most prominent artists. Last year, the competition was won by another Kovsie, Dot Vermeulen.

“Personally, I experienced an intense and consistent sense of anxiety towards death, specifically an anxiety towards losing a loved one due to a road accident. This led me to wonder how an individual copes with substantial loss. During my practical research it became obvious that there are many contrasts existing in the mourning process, contrasts related to anxiety and peace,” said Von Maltitz.

The piece encourages contemplation on three levels.

At the first level, two boxes lie on the floor covered in heaped earth and ash which suggests a buried body: closed, powerless and dark. Here, Von Maltitz invites the viewer to use this space to contemplate the process of mourning and loss.

The second level offers fragmented apparitions displayed in the light boxes, commenting on the ‘grey area’ between life and death.

At the third and final level, the viewer stands between the light boxes: open, alive and powerful.

Von Maltitz is currently reading for her PhD in Fine Arts at Kovsies. Commenting on her research, Von Maltitz said that she is “also interested in comparing the use of repetitive actions – such as revisiting a grave, which seem present in the mourning process – to the use of repetition in sculptural installation.” She is also interested in the relationship between these repetitions and anxiety and relieving anxiety, either permanently or temporarily.


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