Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS launches R8 million US Embassy and Consulates-funded research project

18 November 2020 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Thabo Kessah

Prof Pearl Sithole_web read more — Prof Pearl Sithole acknowledged the role played by the Afromontane Research Unit in securing mountain-to-mountain research funding from the US Embassy and Consulates in SA.

“This launch is an opportunity to reflect on the strategic significance of the partnership between our two universities and the long-standing relationship that academics at the two institutions have enjoyed.”

These were the words of appreciation from the University of the Free State Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Internationalisation, Prof Corli Witthuhn, during the virtual launch of the Mountain-to-Mountain collaboration project between the University of the Free State and the Appalachian State University in the United States held on 10 November 2020. The R8 million project is funded by the US Embassy and Consulates in South Africa and will run over two academic years.

Prof Witthuhn also stated that the project would further strengthen the UFS strategy for internationalisation. “This collaboration has grown organically in the last decade to become one of the UFS flagships in international collaborations. With the support of this grant from the US Embassy and Consulates in South Africa, this long-standing and sustainable collaboration will be further strengthened,” she added.

New master’s programmes

In providing context to the Qwaqwa Campus’ research footprint, Campus Vice-Principal: Academic and Research, Prof Pearl Sithole, acknowledged the role played by the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) under the leadership of its Director, Dr Ralph Clark, as well as all the faculties.

“In the Humanities, a lot is coming regarding the socio-ecosystems of the mountains. And in Education and Economic and Management Sciences, the scholarship of teaching and learning is promoted through blended skills, especially during this time of the pandemic. In the Natural and Agricultural Sciences, climate monitoring is one of the projects that has brought vibrancy to our campus,” she said.

Appalachian State University’s Associate Vice-Chancellor for International Education and Development, Prof Jesse Lutabingwa, mentioned that the collaboration would, among others, develop and offer a multi-disciplinary master’s degree in Mountain Studies on the Qwaqwa Campus, which will initially enrol seven to ten students. “In the subsequent years, we plan to increase this number to 15-20 students. We will also develop and offer a Community Development master’s degree with 10-12 students and up to 25 in subsequent years.”

Black women academics

Prof Lutabingwa, who is also the Project Director, revealed that doctoral students who are currently part of the University Staff Doctoral Project (USDP), will conduct at least three research projects focusing on social entrepreneurship, substance abuse, and rural transport monitoring in the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains. “Also key to this collaboration is the leadership mentorship programme for black women academics who will at the end of the project produce three to five research papers,” Prof Lutabingwa added.

News Archive

New violinist for Odeion String Quartet

2013-02-06

Samson Diamond
06 February 2013

The Odeion String Quartet has a new member, a young accomplished violinist with a string of awards to his name. Samson Diamond, who won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Music in 2010, has joined the quartet. He is the first male member the quartet has had for about five years. The Soweto-born violinist replaced Denise Sutton, former leader and first violinist. He will lead the quartet, a flagship of the university and the only resident string quartet at a South African university. The other three members are Sharon de Kock (violin), Jeanne-Louise Moolman (viola) and Anmari van der Westhuizen (cello).

Twenty-eight year old Diamond, a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK, says he is looking forward to working with students from the Odeion School of Music. “I am sure there are many talented students here.”

The musician, who obtained both his Bachelor of Music Honours degree and his Masters of Music Performance degree with distinction, will be based in Bloemfontein on a full time basis. As a member of the quartet, he will be giving concerts, coaching chamber music for the various chamber ensembles and will also give individual lessons to some of the violin students at the School.

Diamond, who started playing the violin at age ten, boast a long list of achievements. At age 12, he was leader of the Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble, one of the country's prominent youth projects. He was a founding member of the jazz classical band Quattro Fusion and former leader of the Diamond quartet. He has performed before many distinguished guests, including Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.

Diamond says being the first male member in years will not bring about a change in the quartet He says it is about the standard of playing and the calibre of music.

“Music is music whether you work with men or women.”

Diamond’s first performance as member of the quartet will be on 21 February 2013. Details about the performance will be communicated later.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept