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Academic and administrative activities at the UFS to continue on 15 March 2021

14 March 2021 | Story Lacea Loader

The management of the University of the Free State (UFS) is aware of the call for a national shutdown of universities, as was reported in the national media over the weekend. Although not much information is currently available about the call and how it will impact university operations, members of management are in contact with the national authorities in this regard.

The Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) has informed the university that there will be a picket outside the main gate of the Bloemfontein Campus tomorrow at 10:00.

All academic and administrative activities on the campuses will, however, continue as normal tomorrow. Protection Services, with the support of private security, are on high alert and the necessary contingency plans are in place.

Staff and students are encouraged to regularly monitor the communication platforms for important/critical information, as updates on the situation on the campuses will be shared as regularly as possible.

It is important to ensure that your cellphone number is updated in order to receive communication via the KovsieApp and SMS:

KovsieApp: www.ufs.ac.za/kovsieapp

SMS: www.ufs.ac.za/sms

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Marketing)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

News Archive

DiMTEC hosts second conference on disaster risk reduction

2009-06-02

Dr Anthony Turton, the Director: TouchStone Resources (Pty) Ltd. delivered the opening address at this year’s two-day annual international conference on disaster risk reduction that was presented by the Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC) at the University of the Free State (UFS).

In his presentation: Sitting on the horns of a dilemma: South Africa and its strategic water supply, he said: “We have simply reached the limit of the water resources in South Africa. On the one hand, we deal with the quantity dilemma in terms of strategic water storage. South Africa and Zimbabwe counts under the top 20 countries in the world in terms of dams built. We can only build about ten more dams.”

“On the other hand, we must deal with quantity. Previous solutions are not future solutions. When water is recycled, hormones such as oestrogen do not disappear. We must become creative and do something else,” he said.

“Science can make a difference. The UFS is well placed in terms of its groundwater research. Universities must invest in the necessary technology because the testing of toxins is essential. We must work in ways to prevent toxins from re-entering the water cycle,” he said.

A number of international speakers such as Dr Fabrice Renaud, Associate Director at the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in Bonn, Germany, Dr Eugene Poolman, Chief Forecaster: Disaster Risk Reduction, South African Weather Service, and Prof. Rob Bragg from the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the UFS, attended the conference, as well as attendees from 11 different countries.

At the conference were, from the left: Mr Andries Jordaan, Director: DiMTEC at the UFS; Dr Ing Jörn Birkmann, Head of Section: Vulnerability Assessment at the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS); Dr Anthony Turton, Director: TouchStone Resources (Pty) Ltd.; and Dr Fabrice Renaud, Associate Director: UNU-EHS.
Photo: Supplied

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