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01 September 2020 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied
Devina Harry Kader Asmal Fellowship
The UFS’ Devina Harry was accepted into the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme.

The UFS’ own Devina Harry is set to travel to Ireland in September 2020 to begin a year-long Fellowship Programme for a Master of Business. As one of 20 students selected from the African continent, Devina was recently accepted into the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme, which affords her the opportunity to study in Ireland during the 2020/21 academic year.

A research assistant in the Department of Business Management, Devina holds an Honours in Marketing. “I am very grateful to be awarded this scholarship and excited about this new journey,” says Devina, who is scheduled to begin the programme in October 2020. “I hope to come back to South Africa and contribute to my field of study,” she says.

Devina went through a rigorous application process and had to meet the criteria for selection, one of which is having a minimum average grade point of 75% for her honours.

Prof Brownhilder Nene, Head of Department: Business Management, gave Devina some words of encouragement: “You will never know how far you can go unless you try. Thank you, Devina, for stepping out of your comfort zone and getting this scholarship.” 

The Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme is a South African strand of a broader Ireland-Africa Fellows Programme managed by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It was set up in 2012 in honour of the late Professor Kader Asmal, and is a fully-funded scholarship opportunity for those who want to develop skills and knowledge to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in South Africa.

News Archive

Researcher shares platform with Nobel Laureate at conference on nanomedicine
2013-01-10

Prof. Lodewyk Kock at the Everest viewpoint with Mount Everest behind him.
10 January 2013

Profs. Lodewyk Kock and Robert Bragg from the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State (UFS) both presented lectures at the first International Conference on Infectious Diseases and Nanomedicine that was held in Kathmandu, Nepal, late last year.

At the conference, also attended by senior representatives from the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS), Prof. Kock delivered one of the two opening lectures, titled: Introducing New Nanotechnologies to Infectious Diseases (the other opening lecture was presented by Nobel Laureate, Prof. Barry J. Marshal). Prof. Kock also participated in the farewell address.

In two excellent lectures, Prof. Bragg spoke on Bacteriophages as potential treatment option of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and on Bacterial resistance to quaternary ammonium compounds.

For Prof. Kock this very first conference on infectious diseases and nanomedicine was followed by a very exciting yeast research excursion through the Mount Everest Highway which winds through the villages of the Sherpa tribe.

He describes his journey: “The Mount Everest Highway is a rough road stretching through hills and glacial moraines of unfamiliar altitudes and cold temperatures. Throughout the journey I had to take care of not contracting altitude sickness which causes severe headaches and dizziness.

“The only way of transport is on foot, on long-haired cattle called Yaks, donkeys and by helicopter. After flying by plane from Kathmandu (the capital of Nepal), I landed at Lukla, regarded as the most dangerous airport in the world due to its short elevated runway and mountainous surroundings. From Lukla, the land of the Sherpa, I walked (trekked) with my Sherpa guide and porter (carrier) along the Everest Highway surrounded by various Buddhist Mani scripture stands, other Buddhist representations and many spectacular snow-tipped mountains of more than 6 000 m above sea level. Of these, the majestic mountain called Ama Dablam (6 812 m), the grand 8 516 m high peak of Lhotse and to its left the renowned Mount Everest at 8 848 m in height, caught my attention.

“Dwarfed by these mountain peaks on the horizon, I passed various villages until I eventually reached the beautiful village called Namche Bazar, the heart of the Khumbu region and hometown of the Sherpa. This took three days of up to six hours walking per day, while I spent the nights at the villages of Phakding and Monjo. From there I walked along the Dudh Kosi River which stretches towards Mount Everest, until I reached the high altitude Everest viewpoint – the end of my journey, after which I trekked back to Lukla to return to Kathmandu and South Africa.

“This expedition is the first exploration to determine the presence of yeasts in the Everest region. Results from this excursion will be used in collaborative projects with local universities in Nepal that are interested in yeast research.”

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