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23 February 2021 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied
Mankopane Tsosane.

Juggling work and studies while creating work-life balance can be quite challenging for many. Mankopane Tsosane managed to do just that. A staff member in the Department of Public Administration and Management on the Qwaqwa Campus, Tsosane will receive her MAdmin degree at the University of the Free State virtual graduation ceremony on 24 February 2021.

Promoted by Prof Liezel Lues, the title of Tsosane dissertation is, The influence of human resource development challenges on public health service delivery in Mangaung.  The study examined the human-resource development (HRD) challenges facing the administrative staff of the National, Pelonomi Regional, and the Universitas Academic hospitals.

“I am extremely excited and honoured to have gone through this journey and completed my master’s degree,” says Tsosane. This was no easy task, as I was supposed to balance my work and study. But this couldn’t have happened if it had not been for the continued support of my supervisor, Prof Liezel Lues. She has been a pillar of strength throughout, and for that I am forever indebted to her. “I have learned that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams and anything is possible if you put your mind to it, with the right amount of discipline and dedication.”

An article written by Tsosane was accepted for publication in the next issue of the Journal of Public Administration titled: ‘Leadership Accountability and the Development of Administrative Staff at Prominent Hospitals in the Mangaung Metropolitan Health Area’.

The dissertation accepts that there is an increasing demand from the public for quality health-service delivery, as shown in the high number of public protests against poor health-service delivery. The study concludes that the Free State Department of Health (FSDoH) is still faced with the problem of a skills audit and insufficient budget allocations. Therefore, there is a dire need by the FSDoH to acquire skilled HRD professionals or to upgrade their skills and knowledge to meet the requirements of the now changing public sector.

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Qwaqwa Campus launches transdisciplinary Afromontane Research Unit
2015-06-09

Dr Dipane Hlalele, Assistant Dean in the Faculty of Education on the Qwaqwa Campus; Dr Anofi Ashafa, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences on the Qwaqwa Campus; Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research; Prof Sechaba Mahlomaholo, Dean in the Faculty of Education; Dr Geofrey Mukwada, Head of the Department of Geography; Dr Aliza le Roux, Head of the Department of Zoology and Entomology; Prof Prakash Naidoo, Campus Principal and Dr Elsa Crause, Academic Head on the Qwaqwa Campus.

The Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State in the Eastern Free State boasts of one of the most beautiful and distinctive surroundings that will play a crucial role in fostering research in the under-researched area of the montane communities. This was revealed during the recent launch of the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), the UFS flagship transdisciplinary research programme.

“This flagship programme has been in the making for about four years as our Qwaqwa Campus is set in a very interesting, unique, and mountainous place. The programme gained the momentum when the National Research Foundation (NRF) challenged each university to come up with their own single niche research area that would give them a unique research identity”, Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research, said during the launch.

”The Unit will develop the campus’s research capacity as we have already seen a huge increase in the research outputs by Qwaqwa staff. The campus already has seven scholars in the Vice-Chancellor's Prestige Scholars Programme (PSP), and there is notable excitement here. The Afromontane Research Unit will add to that research excitement as well”, she added.

Prof Witthuhn revealed that an application for the funding of the ARU had already been submitted to the NRF, and a positive response was awaited.

The PSP is an accelerated scholarship of junior UFS researchers in their first five years post-PhD. The prestige scholars participate in an intensive programme of support that includes international placement and intensive mentoring.

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