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18 February 2021 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa

The University of the Free State (UFS) invites you to the 2021 Virtual Graduation, where students who completed their qualifications in June/July of 2020 will receive their qualifications during the ceremonies taking place from 22 to 24 February 2021.

Bachelor degrees (435), higher certificates (86), advanced certificates (230), postgraduate certificates (4), national professional diplomas (203), advanced diplomas (13), postgraduate diplomas (158), bachelors honours degrees (22), master’s (201), and doctoral qualifications (70) will be awarded to students across the UFS Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses. 

Graduates in the faculties of Economic and Management Sciences, Education, Health Sciences, the Humanities, Law, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and Theology and Religion will be honoured during the upcoming ceremonies for their academic excellence.

Graduation is the highlight on the university calendar, and even though this prestigious occasion will not be taking place traditionally, the UFS would still like to acknowledge and commemorate our graduates’ prestigious accomplishments. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense disruption in many aspects of our lives. Higher education institutions throughout the world were not exempt from the effects of the deadly virus. This has subsequently impacted the presentation of graduation ceremonies throughout the sector.
The UFS looks forward to virtually celebrating the milestones of all graduates at the virtual graduation ceremonies, and thus implores all graduates to join us in doing so. 

See information further below for details on how to join in on the celebrations.

The university hopes to celebrate many more graduations in future, but for now, the health and safety of our community is our primary concern.
              
  #UFSGraduation2021  #UFSVirtualGraduation 

News Archive

UFS gets equipment worth R3,9 million to do doping tests for the World Cup
2010-05-18

One of the new state-of-the-art machines to be used for dope testing.
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe


The South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein boasts new state-of-the-art equipment worth R3,9 million with which doping tests for next month’s 2010 FIFA World Cup will be done.

“Our new instruments are some of the best in the world,” said a proud Dr Pieter van der Merwe, Head of the laboratory.

SADoCoL, housed in the Department of Pharmacology at the UFS, has done doping analyses for many international sport events in South Africa and elsewhere in the world, including the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the Sevens Rugby World Cup in Dubai.

“Because of our international recognition and accreditation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) the laboratory was selected to be the official doping control facility of the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” he said.

“FIFA has entered into a contract with us and they will send all the urine and blood samples for the World Cup to this laboratory. I must hasten to say that it is not only for the World Cup. We will continue with the work that we have been doing all these years regarding doping analysis in South Africa.”

“It is an honour for the Department and the UFS to offer a world-class service to a world-class association like FIFA and to be associated with a tournament of this magnitude.”

Being the only one of its kind in South Africa, and one of only two in Africa (the other being in Tunisia), it is not surprising that FIFA has entered into this partnership with SADoCoL.

“It is a well-known fact that we have been, and still are, the official doping control testing facility in South Africa for many years now. So there is also a lot of African involvement in our laboratory where African countries send samples to us for analysis,” he said.

It is not for the first time, though, that SADoCoL is involved with FIFA. The laboratory did all the testing for the Confederations Cup that was held in South Africa in June 2009.

It had just been extended to accommodate the new equipment. An official viewing session of the new facility was held last week.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
18 May 2010
 

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