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06 October 2020 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo Charl Devenish
Prof Pearl Sithole, Campus Vice-Principal: Qwaqwa Campus


An increase in post- and undergraduate qualifications, including ten doctoral and seven Master of Science qualifications, for graduates on the Qwaqwa Campus. These were some of the achievements celebrated on the second day of the UFS virtual graduation ceremonies hosted from 6 to 9 October 2020, with students from the Qwaqwa Campus receiving their qualifications. 

Highlighting graduates’ accomplishments, the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, said the Qwaqwa Campus had an impressive milestone to celebrate – the significant increase in the number of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications obtained in 2019. "This includes ten doctoral degrees. This is indeed a remarkable milestone for the campus, well done!"

The campus awarded qualifications to students in the Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences, the Humanities, Education, and Natural and Agricultural Sciences. The Faculties of Education and Natural and Agricultural Sciences had the highest number of postgraduate qualifications, 62 and 43 degrees respectively. 

Boasting a record number of 10 PhD qualifications, the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences had even more reason to celebrate, producing seven Master of Science graduates. Of the seven MSc students, five were women.
Celebrating these achievements, Prof Aliza le Roux, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, said as the first female assistant dean of the faculty, she is impressed with the large number of women graduating with postgraduate degrees. "I am extremely proud of our Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences in Qwaqwa, because our science students are succeeding at some of the hardest degrees you can get. I love working on the Qwaqwa Campus, as the students here give me such hope for the future of science in South Africa," Prof Le Roux said.

One such student is Portia Mosolloane, who obtained her MSc degree in Zoology cum laude. Her dissertation is titled: Rapid detection of escherichia coli in treated and untreated wastewater and the impact of wastewater on riparian macroinvertebrate assemblages.

The following students received their honours and master’s degrees cum laude:

Mmabatho Sebusi – Bachelor of Education Honours with specialisation in Curriculum Studies. 
Matsubela Chakela – Bachelor of Education with specialisation in Management and Governance. 
Unathi Gwama – Bachelor of Education with specialisation in Management and Governance. 
Bongani Msibi – Bachelor of Education with specialisation in Management and Governance. 
Portia Mosolloane – Master of Science in Zoology
Dorah Muthee – Master of Science in Physics.


Virtual Graduation ceremony – Day 1

UFS celebrates the achievements of its newest alumni

"Perhaps this is not the graduation day you envisaged; however, like all graduations, it is a celebratory event that marks the culmination of much hard work, dedication, and commitment to the realisation of your dreams. Graduations are joyous events, occasions of celebration and achievement."

With these words, the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Free State, Prof Francis Petersen, opened the first in the series of virtual graduation ceremonies taking place this week.
As a highlight on the university's calendar, 6 497 students from the three UFS campuses will be virtually awarded undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications over a period of four days as an alternative to the traditional ceremonies, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Prof Petersen said the virtual ceremonies did not erase the magnitude of the occasion. "This virtual graduation ceremony is about celebrating your success and achievements. A lot of sacrifices have been made for you to be able to graduate – whether financial, emotional, or in any other way."

Prof Petersen said that, along with the qualifications received, he hoped the graduates would leave the University of the Free State filled with values that would shape their journey as they entered the world of work and society as professionals – the values of critical inquiry, social responsiveness, and integrity.
"When we send out graduates from the University of the Free State, we would like to believe that we send out graduates with impeccable integrity who can make a massive difference in society."

His words were echoed by the university's new Chancellor, Prof Bonang Mohale, who began his term of office in June. Prof Mohale implored graduates to draw and build from their own humanity for the growth and development of all society, to work for a cause, and to make their presence felt in the world.

"To our newest alumni, congratulations. You have earned your academic qualifications, grown intellectually, and accomplished much more than when you first began your studies.”

“Through today's graduation, may I kindly implore all of us to rededicate ourselves to the unfinished task of attaining social justice, defending democracy, and being change agents," Prof Mohale said. 

Making the most of an unprecedented ceremony, scores of people took to the university's YouTube channel to identify and congratulate their loved ones and to celebrate their achievements.

The following students received the Dean's Medal in the various faculties:

Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences:
Jan Johannes van Niekerk – Bachelor of Accounting
Pierré Ludwig Koekemoer – Bachelor of Commerce Honours with specialisation in Marketing

Faculty of Education:
Martha Maria Koch – Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching

Faculty of Health Sciences:
Venuschké Struwig – Bachelor of Medical Science with specialisation in Radiation Sciences (in respect of a three-year bachelor’s degree) 
Tamryn Wepener – Bachelor of Science in Dietetics (in respect of a four-year bachelor's degree)
Andrea Snyman – Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (in respect of a five-year bachelor’s degree)
Sakhele Lancelort Shiba – Bachelor of Medical Science Honours in Medical Physics

Faculty of the Humanities:
Lise Stofberg – Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Psychology and Sociology (in respect of a three-year bachelor’s degree)
Nina Cilliers – Bachelor of Music (in respect of a four-year bachelor's degree)
André Nel – Bachelor of Psychology Honours

Faculty of Law:
Deneska Theron – Bachelor of Laws

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences:
Christoffel Jacobus de Lange – Bachelor of Science in Genetics and Zoology
Sune Hayward – Bachelor of Science in  Agriculture majoring in  Animal Sciences
Elize Ferreira – Bachelor of Science Honours Majoring in Mathematics and  Applied Mathematics

Congratulations to the class of 2019!
Watch the rest of the ceremonies here

News Archive

New world-class Chemistry facilities at UFS
2011-11-22

 

A world-class research centre was introduced on Friday 18 November 2011 when the new Chemistry building on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) was officially opened.
The upgrading of the building, which has taken place over a period of five years, is the UFS’s largest single financial investment in a long time. The building itself has been renovated at a cost of R60 million and, together with the new equipment acquired, the total investment exceeds R110 million. The university has provided the major part of this, with valuable contributions from Sasol and the South African Research Foundation (NRF), which each contributed more than R20 million for different facets and projects.
The senior management of Sasol, NECSA (The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation), PETLabs Pharmaceuticals, and visitors from Sweden attended the opening.

Prof. Andreas Roodt, Head of the Department of Chemistry, states the department’s specialist research areas includes X-ray crystallography, electrochemistry, synthesis of new molecules, the development of new methods to determine rare elements, water purification, as well as the measurement of energy and temperatures responsible for phase changes in molecules, the development of agents to detect cancer and other defects in the body, and many more.

“We have top expertise in various fields, with some of the best equipment and currently competing with the best laboratories in the world. We have collaborative agreements with more than twenty national and international chemistry research groups of note.

“Currently we are providing inputs about technical aspects of the acid mine water in Johannesburg and vicinity, as well as the fracking in the Karoo in order to release shale gas.”

New equipment installed during the upgrading action comprises:

  • X-ray diffractometers (R5 million) for crystal research. Crystals with unknown compounds are researched on an X-ray diffractometer, which determines the distances in angstroms (1 angstrom is a ten-billionth of a metre) and corners between atoms, as well as the arrangement of the atoms in the crystal, and the precise composition of the molecules in the crystal.
  • Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) for thermographic analyses (R4 million). Heat transfer and the accompanying changes, as in volcanoes, and catalytic reactions for new motor petrol are researched. Temperature changes, coupled with the phase switchover of fluid crystals (liquid crystals -watches, TV screens) of solid matter to fluids, are measured.
  • Nuclear-magnetic resonance (NMR: Bruker 600 MHz; R12 million, one of the most advanced systems in Africa). A NMR apparatus is closely linked with the apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging, which is commonly used in hospitals. NMR is also used to determine the structure of unknown compounds, as well as the purity of the sample. Important structural characteristics of molecules can also be identified, which is extremely important if this molecule is to be used as medication, as well as to predict any possible side effects of it.
  • High-performance Computing Centre (HPC, R5 million). The UFS’ HPC consists of approximately 900 computer cores (equal to 900 ordinary personal computers) encapsulated in one compact system handling calculations at a billion-datapoint level It is used to calculate the geometry and spatial arrangements, energy and characteristics of molecules. The bigger the molecule that is worked with, the more powerful the computers must be doing the calculations. Computing chemistry is particularly useful to calculate molecular characteristics in the absence of X-ray crystallographic or other structural information. Some reactions are so quick that the intermediary products cannot be characterised and computing chemistry is of invaluable value in that case.
  • Catalytic and high-pressure equipment (R6 million; some of the most advanced equipment in the world). The pressures reached (in comparison with those in car tyres) are in gases (100 times bigger) and in fluids (1 500 times) in order to study very special reactions. The research is undertaken, some of which are in collaboration with Sasol, to develop new petrol and petrol additives and add value to local chemicals.
  • Reaction speed equipment (Kinetics: R5 million; some of the most advanced equipment in the world). The tempo and reactions can be studied in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared area at millisecond level; if combined with the NMR, up to a microsecond level (one millionth of a second.

Typical reactions are, for example, the human respiratory system, the absorption of agents in the brain, decomposition of nanomaterials and protein, acid and basis polymerisation reactions (shaping of water-bottle plastic) and many more.

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