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18 June 2020 | Story Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied
Mischke Bouwer.
Mischke Bouwer was recently awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study her PhD in Geoscience at the Southern Illinois University (SIU). The duration of the programme at SIU is five years, starting in August 2020.

Fulbright is a scholarship programme that recruits students from all over the world in any field of study to do their postgraduate studies in America. This is done through funding from Fulbright, together with the country's government and American universities. 

“This is not only a funding scholarship, but a supportive community! It really does feel like teamwork so far. The people from Fulbright ensure that the students feel as comfortable and enlightened as possible when leaving the country, and I am sure it will be the same when I arrive in America,” says Mischke.

Mischke considers herself an average girl who grew up in Pretoria; she enrolled at the UFS for a BSc in Geology from 2014 to 2016, followed by an Honours in Geology in 2017, and MSc in Soil Science. 
“I took a big chance by applying for a Fulbright scholarship but did not expect anything, as I felt I would never be good enough – but look where I am now,” says Mischke.

“I am speechless about the scholarship I received. There are many people I would like to thank who helped me along the way to achieve this scholarship. I would love this opportunity to thank all my lecturers from the UFS, both in the departments of Geology and Soil Science. Thanks to my supervisors for always believing in me. A special thanks to Prof Cornie van Huyssteen who was fully behind me, impacting my way of thinking, and teaching me a lot in two years.”

Mischke dedicates this scholarship to the late Prof Marian Tredoux, a true scientist and lecturer in the Department of Geology, who not only contributed greatly to the sciences, but truly impacted her students. “She inspired me to work hard and showed me an example of what a woman in science could be,” says Mischke.

She encourages students to apply for this scholarship, adding that there is nothing to lose. According to Mischke, students are much smarter than they would like to believe and should therefore always be mindful that their future is way brighter than they think.

“Make your role model YOU in 10 years and keep it that way! This way you always have someone to strive for!” says Mischke.

Mischke works on the absorption potential of arsenic and selenium in the field of environmental geochemistry and geochemical modelling. She hopes to return to South Africa with this knowledge and to make a difference in the remediation and rehabilitation of mines. 

News Archive

Official opening: UFS earmarks R10-million to support national priorities
2006-02-06

 

The University of the Free State (UFS) is to align key areas of its academic and research efforts with national priorities through the introduction of five strategic clusters which would be funded by seedmoney of R10-million in 2006.

Speaking at the Official Opening of the UFS on Friday (3 February 2006), the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie, said the academic and research work that will be done in the five strategic clusters would contribute to the development of Mangaung, the Free State, South Africa and Africa.

 “It makes sense to concentrate the university’s human resources, our infrastructure, financial resources and intellectual expertise to ensure that the UFS makes a contribution to the country and the African continent,” Prof Fourie said.

“Strategic clusters will be organised on the basis that these areas of knowledge could become in the short term the flagships of the UFS, meaning those areas where the university currently has or in the very near future is likely to have some competitive advantage,” Prof Fourie said.

According to Prof Fourie, this strategic-cluster approach will be in line with the approach being designed by the National Research Foundation (NRF) to take national priorities into account and would enhance the quality of scholarship at the UFS.

The five strategic areas in which research and academic investment at the UFS will be clustered are the following:

Enabling technologies / Technology for the future;
Food production, quality and food security for Africa;
Development;
Social transformation;
Water resource and ecosystem management;

“Such strategic clusters are understood not only as research areas but as areas that also encompass strong undergraduate and particularly postgraduate teaching and a potentially solid scientific basis for service learning and community service research,” Prof Fourie said.

Within each of these clusters specific niche areas will be identified. Clusters could focus on one or more aspects of a particular discipline or could involve more than one discipline in researching a particular issue.

He said not all academic work and research being done at the UFS would be clustered in this way. Sufficient resources and support have been put in place for general research excellence in the past five years.

“Some of the spin-offs can have an important impact on industrial development, for example in the chemicals industry and may also create a basis for cooperation with provincial, national and international partners,” he said. 

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
5 February 2006

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