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Three from UFS selected for prestigious future-professors programme

04 February 2020 | Story Leonie Bollleurs | Photo Supplied

Collage proffies — From left; Dr Alice Brink; Dr Oliver Nyambi and Dr Sandy-Lynn Steenhuisen.

The UFS is committed to continuing its support to ensure that they develop their potential excellence to become future world leaders in their respective disciplines. These were the words of Vice-Rector: Research, Prof Corli Witthuhn, in support of three of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) young scholars selected for the prestigious DHET Future Professors Programme.

Drs Sandy-Lynn Steenhuisen, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences (UFS Qwaqwa Campus); Oliver Nyambi, Senior Lecturer in the Department of English (UFS Qwaqwa Campus); and Alice Brink, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry (UFS Bloemfontein Campus), were selected for the first cohort in the programme.

Prof Witthuhn states: “The university is very proud to have three of our young academics selected for the national Future Professors Programme. All three of these outstanding researchers have Y1 ratings from the National Research Foundation (NRF), reflecting the quality of their research and the significant international recognition they enjoy. Being part of the programme presents these three colleagues with a fantastic opportunity for further professional development.”

Investment in future SA professoriate

This prestige programme is an initiative of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to invest in the future South African professoriate. According to Prof Jonathan Jansen, Project Leader: DHET Future Professors Programme, the selection process was both rigorous and highly competitive in producing the cohort for this programme.

Nominations were received from 26 universities and only 29 candidates were selected for what Prof Jansen describes as “a strong and cohesive college of future South African scholars”.

Knowing how few academics were chosen, Dr Steenhuisen describes her selection as both scary and exciting, and a complete surprise.

“I am hoping to learn from others’ experiences and academic journeys, and that the programme will give me focus and direction in a strong promotional track. I never thought one of my ambitions would be to become a professor, but through mentorship and other initiatives like this programme, I can see it becoming a reality with the right guidance.”

She also dreams of seeing young academics discover the most awesome phenomena in nature under her guidance. Dr Steenhuisen hopes to inspire undergraduate students to see the world through different eyes, letting the wonder of the natural diversity around them give them hope.

Opportunity for international exposure

Dr Nyambi, currently an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow in Germany since 2018, says he cherishes the international placement part of this programme. “I know what an opportunity like this means in terms of the quality of engagements, collaborations, and even funding that comes with such international exposure. The programme also presents an exciting opportunity for networking, sharing, learning, and peer-reviewing with some of South Africa’s best scholars.”

Dr Nyambi believes that the UFS is investing much in the development of its scholars. He states: “I see the selection as attesting to the immense potential of the campus to produce highly rated scholars who can improve the quality of both research and graduates at the UFS. I have benefited a lot from various efforts by the university to enhance the research capacity and profile of the campus, and I believe that more such prestigious accolades are in store for researchers on the campus.

As an academic, he believes that teaching, motivating, and instilling a zeal in students on the Qwaqwa Campus to reach beyond their previously disadvantaged backgrounds, comes with a huge challenge. “Becoming what I want my students to aspire to, puts me in a good stead to influence them,” he says.

Dr Brink feels it is a great honour to be selected for this competitive programme. “The inputs and advice from the academic leaders in this fellowship will be valued, particularly as researchers such as myself need to obtain a balance between research excellence, finding solutions for current world problems, while also striving to explore uncharted waters within my field of chemistry,” she says.

News Archive

Ensure your place at the UFS

2010-10-27

The University of the Free State (UFS) appeals to all prospective South African students who want to come and study at the UFS in 2011 to submit their applications no later than Tuesday, 30 November 2010.

The UFS is aware of the fact that learners will not have received their final Grade 12 results by Tuesday, 30 November 2010; therefore provisional admission will be granted based on learners’ most recent Grade 12 results. Final admission will take place upon receipt of the final Grade 12 results, which will be available early in January 2011.

Prospective students can obtain application forms for admission at the following places:

The UFS’s web site at www.ufs.ac.za,
The Information Office (Unit for Prospective Students) at the Thakaneng Bridge on the UFS’s Main Campus in Bloemfontein,
You may also send an e-mail to info@ufs.ac.za or
Phone 051 401 3000 and the necessary forms will be posted to you.

Senior undergraduate students (that is all students who were registered up to and during 2010 at the UFS) as well as post-graduate students, must self-register electronically on-line from Monday, 1 November 2010 until Tuesday, 4 January 2011. This includes master’s and doctoral students.

In order to encourage senior students to register online, the UFS offers 20 laptops as incentives for the senior students who successfully register online from 1 November 2010. These laptops will be handed over to the winners after the registration process in 2011.

Registration of first-year students:

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, will welcome first-year students on Friday, 14 January and Saturday, 15 January 2011, respectively, in the Callie Human Centre. The Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences, the Humanities and Education will be welcomed on 14 January 2011 and the students of the Faculties of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Law and Theology shall be welcomed on 15 January 2011. The compulsory orientation programme for new first-years will also then commence.

From 17 to 21 January 2011 first-year students will receive academic advice at the Callie Human Centre, whereafter they will be referred for self-registration. These processes will take place according to the set timetable. This timetable is available in the Kovsie Guide that will be sent to learners as soon as we have received their applications, as well as on the web site of the UFS at www.ufs.ac.za/register2011.

First-year students’ fees must be paid prior to arrival on 14 and 15 January 2011.

Registration of senior students:

Senior students who experience problems with the electronic on-line self-registration process have the opportunity to resolve problems within a programme on campus from Wednesday, 5 January until Wednesday, 12 January 2011. This programme will be sent out to students and is also available at www.ufs.ac.za/register2011. The specific scheduled day for senior students to resolve problems is the last and only day to resolve the problem.

Senior students can also contact 051 401 9111 for more information in this regard.

Students may register for prescribed modules for 2011, even though the November 2010 examination results are not yet available. Changes resulting from examination results that are made available later can be done up to and including 28 January 2011.

In terms of applications for senior students, only students who have interrupted a calendar year of study need to re-apply for admission.

Registration of students at the UFS’s Qwaqwa Campus:

Senior and first-year students of the UFS’s Qwaqwa Campus register from Wednesday, 12 January until Friday, 28 January 2011 in the Nelson Mandela Hall on this campus.

Registration of students at the UFS South Campus:

First-year students from the UFS’s South Campus in the University Preparation Programme and the Extended Programme (only Natural and Agricultural Sciences) register from Monday, 24 January till Friday, 28 January 2011 in the Arena Hall on the South Campus.

Students who have successfully completed the University Preparation Programme register with the first-year students on the UFS Main Campus on Friday, 14 and Saturday, 15 January 2011 – according to faculties (cf. paragraph 6).

Lectures for all students shall commence on Monday, 24 January 2011.

MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (actg)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za
26 October 2010

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