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New principal exhorts South Campus students to ‘unlock their future’

07 February 2020 | Story Eugene Seegers | Photo Charl Devenish

Dr Madiope UFS South Campus Welcoming 2020 — Dr Madiope welcomes students to the UFS South Campus.

“Now that you have joined the university, you have an obligation to yourself and your parents to get your degree. To the public, you have an obligation to change society.” The new South Campus Principal, Dr Marinkie Madiope, directed these words to students and their family members during the first-year welcoming ceremony in Bloemfontein, held in the campus’s Madiba Arena on Friday 31 January 2020. Dr Madiope assumed her duties on the South Campus at the beginning of January this year.

Dr Madiope concluded: “Your journey to realise your wildest dream has indeed commenced. Welcome, and hold on; the future is bright, and the time is now to unlock your future!”

The right choice

In his welcoming address, Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, thanked the students for choosing the University of the Free State. He said that although the three campuses of the UFS make up one university with the same values and inclusivity, each campus contributes something unique and ‘distinctly different’ to the institution. In the case of the South Campus, he said that the student leadership under the auspices of the campus SRC, as well as the campus management under the guidance of Dr Madiope, provided a welcoming atmosphere for new students coming to the UFS from all parts of the country, allowing them to ‘feel that they belong’ at our university.

Prof Petersen further reassured parents and guardians that they had made the right choice in coming to our university. “Our staff are excellent, and they care about your child. They will be the ones who will support and guide your child, so you don’t have to worry about that.” He further advised students to become involved with co-curricular activities to build their experience, while managing their time well and making good choices.

“Ngwana a thotseng
o shwella thabeng ...
Remember to speak up
so that you can be helped.”
—Phehellang Ralejoe,
South Campus SRC President

Student leadership support

Adding to points made by both Dr Madiope and Prof Petersen regarding student safety, the SRC President for the South Campus, Phehellang Ralejoe, told the gathered audience, “The South Campus prides itself on prioritising the safety of its students, and we can say that you are leaving them in safe, capable hands.”

She also told students to rely on the support systems available on campus, such as Academic Advising, the Office for Gender and Sexual Equity, Student Representative Council, and Student Counselling, and warned against taking mental-health issues lightly. Ms Ralejoe closed with a Sesotho proverb: “Ngwana a thotseng o shwella thabeng, which translates to ‘a quiet child dies on the mountain’. Remember to speak up so that you can be helped. Make this a great, memorable year!”

News Archive

What do diamonds, chocolates, bugs and almost 30 Nobel Prizes have in common? Crystallography

2014-10-15

Some of the keynote speakers and chairpersons at the third world summit in the International Year of Crystallography (in Africa) were, from the left, front: Profs Abdelmalek Thalal (Morocco), Prosper Kanyankogote (University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo); Habib Bougzala (Tunisia), Santiago Garcia-Granda (IUCr, University Oviedo, Spain), Michele Zema (IYCr 2014, Italy/UK) and Dr Jean-Paul Ngome-Abiaga (UNESCO, Paris, France); back: Dr Thomas Auf der Heyde (Acting Director-general, South African Department of Science and Technology); Dr Petrie Steynberg (SASOL) and Prof André Roodt (UFS, host).

Photo: Marija Zbacnik

The third world summit in the International Year of Crystallography (in Africa) was hosted by Prof André Roodt, Head of the Department of Chemistry and President of the European Crystallographic Association, at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.

A declaration with and appeal to support crystallography and science across Africa, was signed.

When one mentions 'Crystallography', or more simply 'crystals', what comes to mind? Diamonds? Perhaps jewellery in general? When thinking of crystals and Crystallography, you will need to think much bigger. And further – even to Mars and back.

Crystallography refers to the branch of science that is concerned with structure and properties of crystals. The obvious examples would include cut diamonds, gemstones such as amethysts, and ‘simple’ crystals such as selenite and quartz.

But have you thought about the irritating brown scales at the bottom of your kettle? The sand in your shoes? The salt over your lamb chops or the sugar in your coffee? All crystals. From egg shells to glucose, from bugs and insecticides to additives in food – even the compounds in chocolate – all fall under the close scrutiny of Crystallography.

The breakthroughs this field of science has produced have led to almost 30 Nobel Prizes over the years.

Determining the structure of DNA by crystallography was arguably one of the most significant scientific events of the 20th century. Different diseases have been cured or slowed by medicines obtained based on crystallographic studies. These include certain cancers, HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Biological Crystallography enables the development of anti-viral drugs and vaccines.

This field of science influences our daily lives in virtually immeasurable ways. Here are but a few areas of study and development Crystallography contributes to:

•   LCD displays;
•   cellular smartphones;
•   insects and insecticides;
•   additives and products in foods;
•   improved effectiveness and security of credit cards;
•   new materials to preserve energy;
•   better gasoline with less by-products;
•   identify colour pigments used in paintings from the old masters, indicating if it’s an original or an imitation; and
•   beauty products such as nail polish, sun-block, mascara and eye shadow.

Crystallography is also currently used by the Curiosity Rover to analyse the substances and minerals on Mars.

Crystals and Crystallography form an integrated part of our daily lives – from bones and teeth to medicines and viruses, from chocolates to the blades in airplane turbines. Even down to the humble snowflake.

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