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Webinar: Intersection between science and entrepreneurship

16 November 2020 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath

Read more Newsfeed Science Entrepreneurship webinar

In this webinar, Prof Brownhilder Neneh of the University of the Free State, and Christopher Rothmann, co-founder of LiquidCulture, discuss the intersection between the two fields of science and entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurship and the university curriculum from an interdisciplinary perspective. The webinar will provide insight into entrepreneurship at universities, particularly the UFS, advancing entrepreneurship development and entrepreneurship-related programmes that are student focused, and illustrate the critical role that entrepreneurship plays in the lives of students.

This webinar is part of a series of three webinars on Interdisciplinarity that is presented from November to December 2020 via Microsoft Teams for a duration of 45 minutes each. The webinar topics in the series explore the intersection between Neuroscience and Music, between Science and Entrepreneurship, and between Science and Visual Arts.

Date: Tuesday 24 November 2020

Topic: The intersection between science and entrepreneurship

Time: 13:00-13:45 (SAST)

RSVP: Alicia Pienaar, pienaaran1@ufs.ac.za by 23 November 2020

Platform: Microsoft Teams

Introduction and welcome

Prof Corli Witthuhn
Vice-Rector: Research at the University of the Free State

Presenters

Prof Brownhilder Neneh

Prof Neneh is Associate Professor and Academic Chair (HOD) in the Department of Business Management at the University of the Free State. She is an NRF-rated researcher in the field of entrepreneurship and small business development. Her research is primarily based in the field of entrepreneurship, where she looks at different aspects of a business venture – from business gestation activities to performance, growth, and exit. She also focuses on some niche areas in entrepreneurship, such as women and student entrepreneurship. She was a 2019 winner of the Emerald Literati Awards in the category Outstanding and Highly Commended papers.

Christopher Rothmann – Co-founder of LiquidCulture

Liquid Culture (LC) was started by Christopher Rothmann and Dr Errol Cason in the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology in 2018. They produce yeast in its purest liquid form. LC is the only company in Africa to do so. Their yeast is mainly used by breweries for the fermentation of beer and they have since also branched out to the baking and distillery industries. Christopher was awarded the joint runner-up position in the Existing Tech Business category of the 2019 Entrepreneurship Intervarsity.

News Archive

Doctors make history with unique heart operation

2012-04-04

Cardiologists at the university delivered the first Melody pulmonary valve in Africa.
Photo: Evert Kleynhans
30 March 2012

Academics of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State made history in Africa once again this week with the implant of a special pulmonary heart valve.

“Today we are extremely proud Free State citizens,” Prof. Stephen Brown and Dr. Danie Buys from the UFS Department of Paediatrics and Child Health said after they placed the Medtronic Melody pulmonary valve in two young patients at the Universitas hospital in Bloemfontein.

This is the first time in Africa that the Melody valve is placed.

To date there are currently only 3 000 of these valves place in the world.

“It feels incredible to be part of a team of experts from the faculty.”

The Medtronic Melody valve is delivered percutaneously through a catheter from the groin. This operation is for children and young adults who are born with a malformation of their pulmonary valve.

These children often require open-heart surgery at a very young age and later require additional open-heart surgeries to restore blood flow between the heart and the lungs.

Prof. Brown said that of all congenital diseases, heart disease is most common. A lot of children born with heart disease are diagnosed very late and many die without ever receiving specialised care.

In 2011, Prof. Brown and two other cardiologists from the UFS, Prof. Hennie Theron en Dr JP Theron also reached a medical milestone when they were the first cardiologists in South Africa to do a second generation Medtronic CoreValve implant on an elderly patient.

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