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12 July 2019 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Tania Allen
Tanya von Berg
Tanya von Berg has represented the UFS netball team with distinction over seven years, winning three Varsity Netball titles and one USSA crown.
Although she did not quite reach her final goal in a Kovsie netball dress, being honoured one last time brought much peace to Tanya von Berg.

She was named in the Dream Team at the conclusion of the University Sport South Africa (USSA) tournament in Johannesburg and was thus recognised as the best centre at the competition.

According to the stalwart who played in her seventh year for the University of the Free State, her goal was to make this team and lift the trophy. The team didn’t succeed in the latter, losing to the North-West University in the semi-final.

Heading abroad
“Knowing that it would be the last time I would be playing for the team, I set myself these two goals. Although we were not able to claim the title, at least making the Dream Team helped to make me feel that I finished on a high, giving my all one last time,” she said.

Von Berg, who is doing her honours in Education this year, received a teaching post in Qatar, where she will start in August.

Remarkably this versatile player, who could play any one of four positions, only missed two matches in the two student competitions since making her debut as a first-year student in 2013. This was due to national commitments in 2016 (playing for South Africa A) and her honeymoon last year.

Standout moments
“Being named for the Protea training squad in 2016 and being selected for the national Fast5 team later that year, was the two outstanding moments of my career.”
“What I remember about my first year, was how huge it was to play with the seniors. The one player who served as my biggest inspiration, was Isélma Parkin. She didn’t receive the recognition she deserved. I learned from her to continue to work hard and to never give up.”


News Archive

UFS launches focused research niche areas
2009-11-20

The University of the Free State (UFS) will launch its six research niche areas, the Strategic Academic Clusters, from 23-25 November 2009 on its Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

These Clusters represent a move from a fragmented to a more focused approach to research development at the UFS and will in future direct the University’s research endeavours.

“The UFS is increasingly operating in a competitive environment where South African universities no longer compete only with their national counterparts, but also internationally. With the Clusters the University will follow a focused approach to the strategic selection of niche knowledge platforms and research areas,” says Prof. Frans Swanepoel, Director of Research Development at the UFS.

The Clusters are: Water management in water-scarce areas; New frontiers in poverty reduction and sustainable development; Transformation in highly diverse societies; Technologies for sustainable crop industries in semi-arid regions; Materials and nanosciences; and Advanced biomolecular research.

“The Clusters embody the pursuit of quality and excellence and the name signifies the University’s concern not only with research, but also with under- and postgraduate teaching and learning. The vision is that the Cluster activities will not only drive world-class research outputs, but also contribute to internationally renowned graduate programme activities,” says Prof. Swanepoel.

Each of the Clusters is led by a dedicated director who provides academic leadership, facilitates cutting-edge research, leverages multidisciplinary synergies and coordinates the overall Cluster activities.

Next week’s launch programme will start on Monday, 23 November 2009 with a gala dinner, followed by a plenary symposium on Tuesday, 24 November 2009, during which the Clusters will be introduced.

Several national and international experts in the fields covered by the Clusters will take part in this symposium. They are, amongst others: Dr Danny Walmsley from St Mary’s University in Canada; Dr David Wolfe from Cornell University and Dr David Clark from the National Institute of Health, both in the USA; Mr Mark Ashley from the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre in Australia; Dr Ian Goldman from the Office of the Presidency in South Africa; Prof Peter Ewang from the South African National Development Agency; Mr Willem Louw from Sasol Technology; and Dr Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela from the University of Cape Town.

On Wednesday, 25 November 2009 each Cluster will present its own symposium.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Deputy Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
20 November 2009

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