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01 September 2020
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Story Dr Nitha Ramnath
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Photo Supplied
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.
UFS students win Innovation prize
2007-11-05
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From the left are, front: Kasey Kakoma (member of the winning team) and Ji-Yun Lee (member of the winning team); back: Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS), Lehlohonolo Mathengtheng (member of the winning team) and Prof. Gerrit van Wyk (consultant from Technology Transfer Projects who arranged the first phase of the competition).
Photo (Leonie Bolleurs):
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UFS students win Innovation prize
Prizes to the value of R100 000 were recently handed to students in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) during a prize winners function of the National Innovation Competition.
“The competition is sponsored by the Innovation Fund, which was established by the national Department of Science and Technology and is managed by the National Research Foundation (NRF). The competition seeks to develop innovation and entrepreneurship amongst students in higher education institutions,” said Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Vice-Rector of Academic Operations at the UFS.
Most universities in South Africa take part in the competition. “The first phase of the competition is per university where students can win prize money to the value of R100 000. The three winners then compete in the national competition, where prize money to the value of R600 000 can be won,” said Prof. Verschoor.
Eight teams from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences competed in the local competition. The teams had to submit a business plan, which was judged by six external adjudicators.
The winning team from the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology submitted their business plan with the title: “Using bacteriophages to combat specific bacterial infections in poultry". The team, consisting of Kasey Kakoma from Zambia, Lehlohonolo Mathengtheng from South Africa, and Ji-Yun Lee from South Korea, were awarded R50 000 in cash. All three students are Master’s degree students in Microbiology in the Veterinary Biotechnology Research group at the UFS.
The team who came second was from the Department of Physics with team leader Lisa Coetzee and they received R30 000. The title of their project was “Light of the future”. The third prize of R20 000 went to Lizette Jordaan of the Department of Chemistry with a project entitled: “Development of a viable synthetic route towards a natural substrate with possible application in the industry”.
Prof. Gerrit van Wyk, former dean of the UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and consultant for Technology Transfer Projects, annually drives this competition.
In his announcement of the winners of the first phase of the 2007 National Innovation Competition, Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean of the UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, said innovation and entrepreneurship are important to stimulate and create sustainable economic growth in South Africa. “Through this competition universities get the opportunity to show to South Africa its capabilities in the arena of innovation and commercialisation of ideas,” he said.
To proceed to the second phase of the competition, the business plans of the three finalists from each qualifying higher education institution will be submitted for the national competition. The best three students from each participating institution will exhibit their innovations at the national awards ceremony early in 2008. The top ten entrants and subsequently the best three business plans from the total entries will then be short listed. The prize money won at the national competition has to be used for the commercialisation of the project or the founding of a company.
Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
5 November 2007
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