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

Volksblad (Editorial) Transformation recipe (Afrikaans)

2007-02-13

(Editorial - Afrikaans)

Dinsdag 13 Februarie 2007
Hoofartikelblad

Transformasie-resep

DIE transformasieproses in Suid-Afrika kan vooruitgang pootjie as dit nie reg aangepak en deurgevoer word nie.

Anders gestel: 'n Onbekookte, ondeurdagte proses kan soveel skade aanrig dat dit die land jare gaan neem net om weer op die been te kom.

Dit is hierdie slaggate waarteen prof. Adam Habib, direkteur van demokrasie en regering by die RGN, waarsku. Transformasie in die hoër onderwys is hier ter sprake, maar belangrike lesse is ook vir die res van die staatshuishouding te leer.

Habib het op 'n gespreksgeleentheid op die Wits-kampus gesê universiteite kan binne 10 tot 15 jaar sterf as niks gedoen word om nuwe, jong akademici van gehalte te werf nie. In hul poging om te transformeer en "swart boude op sitplekke te kry" het universiteite so agtergeraak met hul doelwitte dat hulle nou selfs van swakker gehalte is as vroeër. "Speletjies" word met transformasie gespeel en 'n "malheid" rondom syfers is aan die gang.

Instellings fokus so daarop om hul kwota-mikpunte te bereik, sê die professor, dat dienslewering en kundigheid die kreeftegang gaan. "So kry 'n mens 'n situasie waar die adjunk-president dan aankondig sy moet Indië toe gaan om vaardige mense te kry."

'n Mens kan net hoop dat hierdie waarskuwings op die regte ore val.

Transformasie is nodig, maar beslis nie tot elke prys nie.

Dit kan die hoëronderwys-sektor loon om te kom kyk waarheen die Universiteit van die Vrystaat met sy Institusionele Manifes op pad is.

Die manifes, tans nog 'n besprekingsdokument, gaan die transformasieproses van die UV rig met as einddoel 'n instelling waar alle Suid-Afrikaners plek sal hê en tuis sal voel, maar waarin kernwaardes soos akademiese gehalte en die volgehoue versterking van kernbevoegdhede en -vermoëns ononderhandelbaar is.

Dit is sekerlik die enigste pad na transformasie-welslae wat Suid-Afrika kan en moet loop.

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