Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Nthabiseng Kotsokoane to lead activities of international library association

08 June 2021 | Story Legopheng Maphile | Photo Charl Devenish

Nthabiseng Kotsokoane in front of the Sasol Library on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State. She is wearing a pink blouse with floral patterns and leaning with her left elbow against a ledge whilst looking into the camera. — Nthabiseng Kotsokoane is a renowned library professional whose passionate efforts to advance library and information services in Africa and beyond are widely acknowledged Photo: Charl Devenish

The University of the Free State is proud to announce the appointment of Nthabiseng Kotsokoane as chairperson of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) new Regional Council and member of the IFLA Governing Board 2021 – 2023.

IFLA is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession.

Nthabiseng Kotsokoane is currently the Assistant Director at the University of the Free State Library Information Services. She previously worked at Monash University for 10 years as a director of the library services. Ms Kotsokoane is a renowned library professional whose passionate efforts to advance library and information services in Africa and beyond are widely acknowledged. She has vast experience in serving at various committees regionally and internationally. She served as a member of the IFLA women information Libraries Special Interest Group. She was later elected by LIASA into the IFLA IT committee. She is the current IFLA Africa section Chair 2017-2021.

Serving the international library community

Nthabiseng is not only active in IFLA but on the African continent as well, she is the past chair for the African Library & Information Associations & Institutions (AfLIA) academic library section Chair and a member of the AfLIA Governing Board.

As IFLA’s Regional Chair her key role will be to in increase the presence of world regions in IFLA and IFLA’s presence around the world focusing on advocacy and building capacity. She will lead efforts to provide input on IFLA advocacy work and review success in developing the regional dimension of the IFLA Strategy, as well as work to promote IFLA membership and fundraising in the regions.

This will include coordination and development of Regional Division action plans, review Regional Division activities in the following regions Regional Council and Regional Divisions for Asia and Oceania, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa. With her passion of developing and mentoring new library professionals we are certain that this new role will be of benefit to the international library community.

News Archive

Using sugar to make the world a sweeter place

2017-10-13

Dr Deepack Santchurn, former PhD student in the
Department of Plant Sciences at the UFS,
and plant breeder in the Mauritius Sugar Industry
Research Institute, with Prof Maryke Labuschagne, left,
Dr Santchurn’s study leader.
Photo: Charl Devenish

Besides it mainly being used for sugar production, sugarcane has emerged as an important alternative for providing clean renewable energy. Dr Deepack Santchurn, who works in the sugarcane breeding department of the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute (MSIRI), believes if he could contribute towards a more environment-friendly and renewable energy through the use of sugarcane biomass, he would consider himself having made a great leap towards a better world.

Sugarcane is mostly known and exploited for the sugar in its cane stem. According to Dr Santchurn it is not the only thing the crop does well. “Together with certain grasses, it is the finest living collector of sunlight energy and a producer of biomass in unit time. Sugarcane is now recognised worldwide as a potential renewable and environment-friendly bioenergy crop.”

Significantly more bioenergy can be produced from sugarcane if the production system is not focused on the production and recovery of sucrose alone but on the maximum use to the total above-ground biomass. Diversification within the sugarcane industry is of paramount importance.

He has been able to identify a few high biomass varieties that can be exploited industrially. One of the varieties is a commercial type with relatively high sugar and low fibre in the cane stem. Dr Santchurn explains: “Its sucrose content is about 0.5% less than the most cultivated commercial variety in Mauritius. Nevertheless, its sugar yield and above-ground biomass yield surpass those of the commercial varieties by more than 24%. The genetic gains compared to commercial varieties were around +50% for total biomass yield and +100% for fibre yield. Its cultivation is strictly related to bio-energy production and the extracted juice can be used as a feed-stock for ethanol and other high-value products.”

Dr Santchurn received his PhD at the UFS’s Department of Plant Sciences during the Winter Graduation Ceremonies in June this year. His study leader was Prof Maryke Labuschagne from the Department of Plant Sciences.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept