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Welcoming postgraduate students

13 March 2020 | Story Amanda Tongha and Andre Damons | Photo Johan Roux

UFS postgraduate welcoming — Attending the Postgraduate Welcoming were, from the left: Itumeleng Mutla, second-year master’s student; Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Internationalisation; Prof Witness Mudzi, Director of the Postgraduate School; Hesma van Tonder, Chief Officer: Research Librarian; and John van Niekerk, a master’s student.

The University of the Free State prides itself on being an institution committed to excellence in postgraduate education. In 2019, the UFS boasted more than 6 900 postgraduate students enrolled for postgraduate diplomas, honours, master’s and doctoral qualifications. Of these, 77% previously enrolled at the UFS, while 23% started at the institution for the first time.

Targeting this group of students who make up 17% of the total number of degree-seeking students, the UFS Postgraduate School formally welcomed new senior students to the university on Friday 6 March.

Postgraduate success
“It is the best time to be a senior student, and I hope it is a wonderful experience,” said Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Internationalisation in her welcoming address to the more than 150 postgraduate students gathered in the Reitz Hall of the Centenary Complex.

Giving reasons as to why Kovsie students should consider postgraduate studies, Prof Witthuhn said there are many opportunities associated with making the jump from undergraduate to postgraduate student.

“All the data shows that postgraduate studies increase employability. It creates the opportunity to deeper engage with the field that you are interested in.”

The postgraduate journey
Dr Musawenkosi Saurombe, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Industrial Psychology who became the youngest PhD holder on the African continent at age 23, was also on hand to offer advice.

“Are you willing to see the task to completion? How badly do you want it?” she challenged postgraduate students, talking about her journey from 16-year old first-year student to 23-year-old doctoral degree holder.

Itumeleng Mutla, who is in the second year of her master’s degree in Administration, said she found the speech by Dr Saurombe inspiring and encouraging. “I felt like a groupie and took pictures with her afterwards. We felt inspired by her story and she encouraged me in my own studies. I think I am also going to push to finish my studies earlier,” she said.

John van Niekerk, a master’s student in Education and Psychology, said Saurombe’s talk was brilliant and he would like her to give a talk to learners at Kimberley Boys High, where he is a teacher.

News Archive

UFS receives R13,7 Million for Research into Prehistoric Organisms

2007-03-27

Some of the guests attending the launch of the research contract are: Dr Siyabulela Ntutela (Deputy Director: Biotechnology at the Department of Science and Technology), Dr Godfrey Netswera (Manager of Thuthuka and the Support Programme at the National Research Foundation (NRF)), Dr Esta van Heerden (Platform Manager and lecturer at the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the UFS), Mr Butana Mboniswa (Chief Executive Officer of BioPAD), and Mr Vuyisele Phehani (Portfolio Manager for BioPAD).
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

The University of the Free State (UFS) has been awarded a massive R13,7 million contract to conduct research into prehistoric micro-organisms which live under extreme conditions, for example in mineshafts.

This is one of the biggest research contracts awarded to the UFS in recent years.

The biotechnology research contract was awarded to the UFS by BioPAD, a South African biotechnology company that brokers partnerships between researchers, entrepreneurs, business, government and other stakeholders to promote innovation and create sustainable biotechnology businesses.

The project is endorsed by the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation (NRF), which contributes to the bursaries of the 17 postgraduate students on the programme.

The contract involves the establishment of a Platform for Metagenomics - a technique which allows researchers to extract the DNA from microbes in their natural environment and investigate it in a laboratory.

“Through this platform we will be able to understand deepmine microbial populations
and their potential application in the search for life in outer space. It is most likely
that, if life were to be found on other planets in our solar system, it would probably
resemble that which existed millions of years ago on earth. Apart from all this, these
organisms have unique properties one can exploit in biotechnological application for
South Africa and its community,” said Dr Esta van Heerden, platform manager and
lecturer at the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology.
She is assisted by her collegues, Prof. Derek Litthauer and Dr Lizelle Piater.

“The platform aims to tap into the unique genetic material in South African mines
which will lead to the discovery of new genes and their products. These new and unique products will find application in the medical field (anti-cancer, anti-bacterial en anti-viral cures), the industrial sector (nanotechnology, commercial washing agents and the food industry), environmental sector (pollution management, demolition of harmful metals and other toxic waste),” said Dr Van Heerden.

According to Dr Van Heerden, the Metagenomics Platforms stems from the Life in
Extreme Environments (LExEN) programme which was started in 1994 by Princeton
University in the United States of America (USA) in South African mines with grants
from among others the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and
the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the USA. Other international collaborators
on the project include Geosynec Consultants Inc. (USA), Oak Ridge National
Laboratory (USA), the University of Tennessee (USA) and in South Africa the
Universities of the Witwatersrand, North West and Limpopo and companies like BHP
Billiton, MINTEK and mining companies like Harmony, Gold Fields and AngloGold
Ashanti.

The research field laboratory of the Metagenomics Platform, which was situated in
Glen Harvey, was moved to the Main Campus of the UFS in Bloemfontein. “In this
way the university has become the central hub for all research programmes. We are
also the liaison between the LExEN programme and the various mining companies
involved,” said Dr Van Heerden. The new laboratory was introduced during the
launch of the research contract.

“Our decision to commit BioPAD to this project stems from the company’s commitment to advance human capacity development to strengthen South Africa’s research infrastructure. It is also part of our aim to create and protect intellectual property,” said Mr Butana Mboniswa, Chief Executive Officer of BioPAD.

Talking on behalf of the UFS senior management, Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Vice-Rector
of Academic Operations, said that the university shares the excitement to be part of
the exploration of unknown forms of life, the discovery of new genes and
their products and in applying newly gained knowledge to better understand our
universe.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za
27 March 2007

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