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Prof Francis Petersen addresses the National Press Club

29 May 2019 | Story Elize Davids

Prof Petersen at National Press Club — Prof Petersen with members of the Press Club’s National Executive. From the left are: Reynold Thakuli, SANPARKS; Willem van de Putte, Saturday Star; Ntando Makhubu, Pretoria News (Chairperson) Jos Charle, Pretoria News and Lisa Dewberry, Freelance Communications Specialist.

The South African National Press Club recently hosted the University of the Free State’s Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, at a gathering of national media representatives and communication specialists in Pretoria. Following a recent, widely publicised opinion article about the importance of the youth vote, Prof Petersen reflected on the period following the national elections of 8 May 2019, sharing his insights from a higher-education perspective.

“The role of the modern university has shifted”, said Prof Petersen, as he outlined five things the UFS was actively pursuing through its Strategic Plan and Integrated Transformation Plan.

New Knowledge

The UFS will develop a new knowledge (research) industry. For South Africa to yield economic growth, it must support the growth of small and medium enterprise. The institution has an active role to play in yielding this new knowledge as reflected in its recent launch of the Agribusiness Transformation Programme with Standard Bank; Applying our knowledge in the Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Business; we will equip and empower 25 black commercial farmers in addressing food insecurity. The annual Thought-Leadership Series during the Vrystaat Arts Festival in July 2019 will also address economic growth, entrepreneurship, and employment.

Practical Application

“Once we have trained people for the economy and have delivered research, we must ensure that our knowledge is appropriately disseminated technical academic papers need to be converted to something useful, appropriate, and practically applicable”, he said.

Public Discourse

Creating a platform to address controversial issues in our society is what defines the UFS as a thought leader. As demonstrated by the recent Gangster State Book Discussion by author Pieter-Louis Myburgh hosted by the Business School, the institution continues to demonstrate its’ commitment to intellectually engage society through public discourse.

Projects

The institution actively pursues interesting projects that will shift the thinking of general society, government and industry. “These address our response to transformation, informs strategic planning, and shapes our values as we create a new university citizenship – a transformed society of inclusivity and belonging,” he said.

News Archive

Care centre goes high-tech to help sexual abuse victims

2016-11-25

Description: Colposcope Tags: Colposcope

The colposcope, donated by the Discovery Fund,
will be used during gynaecological examinations
to detect any irregularities.
Photo: Supplied

Rape is one of South Africa’s most pressing social problems. Rape levels in the country are often discussed and reported on, but it does not deter perpetrators from this behaviour. According to Africa Check, of the more than 42 000 rape cases reported in 2015, 15 790 were child rape cases.

In an effort to assist victims of sexual assault and rape, the University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Family Medicine adopted the Tshepong Thuthuzela Care Centre, under the leadership of UFS lecturer Dr Mariaan Kotze.

The Discovery Fund donated a colposcope to Tshepong Thuthuzela Care Centre, an instrument that works with the help of a bright light and which is used to examine victims of abuse. It has also become a standard of good practice in the assessment of child abuse worldwide. According to Dr Kotze, the new instrument will also be used for training health practitioners by rendering clinical forensic services to abuse victims.

Managing complex issues

The care centre works with between 80 and 120 victims of rape each month, a third of whom are children under 14 years of age. According to Dr Kotze, the management of child sexual abuse victims is more complex than with adults; as there is a higher chance of missing or over-diagnosing abnormalities. Also, she says, the examination process is often observed by a group of healthcare practitioners, an experience which is often intrusive and intimidating for the child. With the colposcope, the timeframe of the examination is shortened, and can be captured and viewed in real time, without the victim being present.

Best care for victims

The colposcope is a magnifier and light source used during gynaecological examinations. It is instrumental in providing the best care to victims of sexual abuse, and helps diagnose and assist in the treatment of cases of abuse. Its ability to capture and review images at the time of examination allows for retrospective research, and improves the ability of expert witnesses in court cases.

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