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08 December 2020 | Story Nelia Oosthuysen | Photo Charl Devenish
Nelia Oosthuysen South Campus
Nelia Oosthuysen is a digital content creator and curator on the UFS South Campus.
Every year begins chock-full of new opportunities, expectations, dreams… And so, we also approached 2020 with a perennial positivity unaware of what lay ahead. New challenges? The Coronavirus Pandemic took care of that, more than we could have ever anticipated. On 23 March 2020, our President announced a national lockdown period that would have numerous ramifications. Most of these would be negative, as we know all too well: Our personal lives, the things we read in the paper / on social media, and what we see around us. But I decided to stop and focus on the positives that could come out of this pandemic as well as some “food for thought”.

We were all dumbstruck at our planet’s ability to heal itself in such a short time and show off the astounding beauty that nature has to offer, such as the sparkling clean canals in Venice. Pollution decreased in leaps and bounds, and for once, residents of some of the major cities in the world could not see what they were breathing in! NASA observed this phenomenon with satellites in the atmosphere that travelled above Asia, America, and Europe during this time.

On a more personal note, the lockdown period was an opportunity for me — and one I hope everyone also used to some degree — to step back, do a little introspection, and reflect on the crucial aspects of everyday life. Reflecting on the significance of relationships with family and friends, our responsibility towards our planet and everything on it, as well as new awareness and sensitivity towards those in a less fortunate position than we are in. Lastly, but certainly not least: How is my spiritual life? Am I spending enough time with my Creator as my only source of energy in these trying times? I can only speak for myself, but during this time, I was able to take stock of my life again and to prioritise what is and what should be important to me. Let us then go forth with a new lease on life keeping in mind the wisdom in this anonymous aphorism: “Some people cannot be cured, but everyone can heal.”

News Archive

Equipment worth R23 million to carry out research at nanometer level
2009-05-28

The Department of Physics at the University of the Free State (UFS) has just received equipment to the value of R23 million that will be utilised for research at nanometer level.

By purchasing the NanoSAM and VersaProbe XPS systems, the UFS also became the only university in Africa that has both these instruments at its disposal.

This also places the UFS at the forefront of surface characterisation at nanometer scale.

Prof. Hendrik Swart, Head of the UFS’s Department of Physics, described the acquisition of this research apparatus as an amazing event for the department. Prof. Swart said this meant that the department would now become a national facility for research on surface characterisation, and that this would also help to ensure that the department’s publication contributions would be included in higher-impact publications.

According to Prof. Swart, this apparatus would not only be valuable for fundamental research on nanophosphors and segregation, but in particular would also assist in the industrial development of better catalysts to synthesise petrol and chemicals from gas or coal supplies. Prof. Swart continued to say that Sasol was one of the industries that would benefit from this, and that Prof. Jannie Swarts from Chemistry was closely involved in the latter.

The equipment was purchased with funds donated by the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the University, the National Research Council and Sasol. Technicians from the manufacturing company are currently visiting the department to assist with the installation and to train staff.

Media Release:
Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
28 May 2009

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