From the left are: Prof. Johan Greyling (Head of the Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences), Ms Lorraine Möller and Ms Darina Bekker (the first two Animal Science students that will participate in the exchange programme) and Prof. Aldo Stroebel (Director International Affairs at the UFS).
Photograph: Supplied.

 

The University of the Free State (UFS) has concluded a student-exchange agreement with Murdoch University, Perth, Australia for a semester abroad programme in Animal Science. This makes it the first exchange agreement of its kind for both institutions with South Africa or Australia respectively.

The agreement was signed during a visit to Murdoch by Prof. Aldo Stroebel, Director International Affairs at the UFS, last week.

The agreement follows two years of negotiation and partnership building with the assistance of Prof. Johan Greyling, Head of the Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences at the UFS, and will extend in future to research and capacity building cooperation. Two third-year Animal Science students will join Murdoch University for the second semester of 2009, and return to complete their final year in South Africa. A reciprocal exchange from Murdoch University will take place in 2010.

Murdoch University is regarded as one of Australia’s leading research universities, and has recently been announced as an animal and veterinary science centre of excellence for Western Australia.