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05 November 2020 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Thabo Kessah
Prof Geofrey Mukwada says funding from the US Embassy and Consulates in South Africa will reinforce the ARU mandate.

The University of the Free State (UFS) will further strengthen its ties with the Appalachian State University in the next two academic years through a mountain-to-mountain research project funded by the US Embassy and Consulates in South Africa.

The R8 million project between the UFS and the US institution will cover the two master’s degree programmes in underdeveloped niche areas, meteorological weather stations, leadership capacity building for black women in academia, and doctoral research projects. Qwaqwa Campus departments that will be involved are Physics, Geography, Community Development, and the ARU.

Talking about this collaboration, the project leader, Prof Geofrey Mukwada, said it would bring together researchers from both the UFS and Appalachian State University and enable them to work together to develop what is currently an underdeveloped research niche, i.e. mountain studies. 

“This project will reinforce the mandate of the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU). It will provide the basis for a long-term development agenda through training and infrastructure development. For instance, the project will fund the implementation of two master’s degree programmes – the MSc in Mountain Environments and the MA in Community Development – which are long-term projects,” he said. 

“It will also support innovation in climate change research. Through this project, it will be possible to receive climate data from weather stations that are situated in distant, isolated, and generally inaccessible locations without travelling to those locations. We will be able to understand how the climate of the region is changing and assist in developing adaptation measures and decisions that are applicable to agriculture, water, tourism, environment, and other sectors. This will enhance the capacity of the ARU to contribute to the development of research in mountain environments,” he added. 

There will be a virtual launch of the project on Tuesday 10 November 2020 at 15:00 (CAT).

News Archive

Arment-My-Nie proved what a time it is to be alive at the 2016 Stagedoor
2016-03-15

Description: 2016 03 KL Stagedoor Tags: Stagedoor

2016 has been nothing short of events that have left students singing the phrase, “What A Time To Be Alive!” This year’s Stagedoor theme had first-year groups re-enacting some of the most memorable times of 2016 and even far into the future.

On 12 March 2016, the show continued with the newly adopted format which was initiated last year, whereby residences are coupled together. With all teams being entered into the finals round, this can be seen as a victory for all, as the crowds of students and parents had the opportunity to see all pairs perform.

Kovsie Church, on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State, was packed wall-to-wall with fans and supporters who were high in anticipation of the never-seen-before performances. This resulted in even more excitement for audiences and a tight competition for the residences.

With the theme already set out, the show began to roll, and audiences were enticed with each performance. Audiences experienced the tongue-in-cheek wit of performers, as many scripts had underlying references which left viewers roaring with laughter.

Only three groups could, however, walk away with the top spots. Karee and Arista were third, with Sonnedou and Villa Bravado coming out second, and the trophy was taken by Armentum and Vergeet-My-Nie.

This year, the Arts and Culture office of the Student Representative Council introduced additional categories to the competition. The winners were:

  • McDonalds Jingle – Legatum and NJ van der Merwe

  • Best Actor – Bernie Neser

  • Best Actress – Maynie Knoetze

  • Best Incorporated Theme – Legatum and NJ van der Merwe

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