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Ntebohiseng Sekhele Read More
Ntebohiseng Sekhele hopes her PhD study will address conservation conflicts that exist between communities and protected areas.

The University of the Free State’s Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) based on the Qwaqwa Campus has recently concluded the process of recruiting candidates for the University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP). Through this programme, two historically disadvantaged South African universities; Universities of the Free State (Qwaqwa Campus) and Venda (UNIVEN) and three universities in the United States will be collaborating on a number of PhD research projects.

“The programme is funded through the US-SA Higher Education Network and will give candidates and their supervisors the opportunity to regularly travel to the USA and spend time at participating US universities where their co-promoters will be based and allow them to collaborate with identified suitable academics based at those institutions,” said Prof Geofrey Mukwada, Associate Professor in Geography and the coordinator of the project.

One of the young academics selected for this is Ntebohiseng Sekhele from the Geography Department. She will be doing her research in collaboration with the Colorado State University.

“I am delighted to be part of this programme and it still feels like a dream. I feel honored to be selected to participate in such a prestigious programme. To be chosen amongst other applicants means the coordinators believe in my potential, and I look forward to working towards my full potential,” said Sekhele, who describes herself as ‘a simple and ambitious village girl from Monontsha in Qwaqwa.’ 

Sekhele’s proposed PhD study will focus on determining strategies and impacts of conservation practices by the local communities. “It will address conservation conflicts that exist between communities and protected areas; different interpretations of sustainability (including indigenous knowledge) and offer recommendations of harmonising the conservation practices with the sustainability of conservation areas. There is a great need to develop management strategies that will simultaneously satisfy conservation and human needs. She will be graduating with an MSc (Environmental Geography) degree in 2019.

Other US universities involved in the UCDP are Appalachian State University (ASU) and University of Montana (UoM).

News Archive

Nominations for Kovsie Alumni Awards
2010-07-08

It is once again time to nominate candidates for the three Kovsie Alumni Awards annually presented by the University of the Free State (UFS).
Nominations are awaited for the Kovsie Alumnus of the Year Award, Cum Laude Award and the Alumni Award for Exceptional Service to the UFS.
The Kovsie Alumnus of the Year Award honours the outstanding achievements of a Kovsie alumnus on national or international level. The Cum Laude Award is occasionally bestowed on an alumnus for outstanding service or achievement at regional, national or international level in his/her field of work. The Alumni Award for Outstanding Service to the UFS is occasionally made to any person (not necessarily an alumnus) who has rendered exceptional service to the university.
Any alumnus can submit a written nomination for the above-mentioned awards. At least five other alumni must second the nomination. A comprehensive motivation and brief Curriculum Vitae of the candidate must accompany the nomination. The candidate’s full address and telephone number must also be provided.

Nominations can be submitted to Annanda Calitz, Alumni Awards, PO Box 2319 Bloemfontein 9300 or 086 629 6820 or ficka@ufs.ac.za . The closing date for submission of nominations is 23 July 2010.

Last year the winner of the 2008/09 Kovsie Alumnus of the Year award was Mr Gert Grobler. Dr Gert Marincowitz and Sekoati Tsubane (Kabelo in 7de Laan) received the Kovsie Alumni Cum Laude Award. Prof. Johan Grobbelaar, Senior Professor at the Department of Plant Sciences and Prof. André Venter, Chief Specialist at Paediatrics and Child Health, both received the Kovsie Alumni National Executive Award.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
8 July 2010
 

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