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Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa
Good news galore. Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, Professor and Director of Pharmacology at the University of the Free State (UFS), received more good news recently when he was awarded a Visiting Professorship at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) in Beijing, China, as well as being elected as the Deputy President of the South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. Prof Matsabisa was also recommended by Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, part of the IBSA technical committee.

Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, Professor and Director of Pharmacology at the University of the Free State (UFS), received more good news recently when he was awarded a Visiting Professorship at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) in Beijing, China. This news comes at the same time as the traditional medicine expert has been elected as the Deputy President of the South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology.

This is, however, not the end of the good news for Prof Matsabisa. Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, recommended him to Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, to be part of the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) working group in traditional medicine. As a member of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) Indigenous Knowledge-based Bio-Innovation programme, Prof Matsabisa, together with Prof Nceba Gqaleni, is part of the IBSA technical committee. Prof Matsabisa is also part of a technical team for National Department of Health on traditional medicines for the IBSA countries 

Unexpected honours

“I was not expecting any of these honours. It comes as a total shock. To have gone through the stringent evaluation and selection process at the BUCM and made it to the university’s highest award, is an honour. This is recognition of my academic and research quality by my peers on an international level.

“Being elected to lead a society of researchers and clinicians in the field of Pharmacology in the country is further recognition nationally of the academic and research excellence status. These awards coming at the same time is unbelievable. I am proud of the work I do as well as a gesture of support from scientists nationally and internationally and the support from UFS having allowed me to do what I do best academically,” says Prof Matsabisa.

According to him, some of the key expectations for this Visiting Professorship at the BUCM are teaching, to do collaborative research and conduct workshops jointly as well as joint leverage of research funding and co-publications. Prof Matsabisa will now, together with his counterparts at BUCM, discuss and synchronise their teaching and research so they plan the visit to benefit the UFS and the BUCM.

The South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology’s main activities are to bring pharmacologists together and share new scientific knowledge and developments in the field, explains Prof Matsabisa. The Society is for teaching and training; including research in both basic and clinical pharmacology, to support pharmacology conferences nationally and continentally. “We develop young pharmacologists and are also affiliated to international pharmacology societies. The purpose of the South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology is to excel and grow the pharmacology field in medicine.”

A good year for pharmacology and the UFS

This has been a good year for him and the team, for pharmacology and the UFS, says Prof Matsabisa. Most recently, Prof Matsabisa and the Department of Pharmacology received a grant of R58 million to establish one of the most advanced modern Pharmacology GLP-accredited research and development laboratories in the country, and possibly in the region. The department has also been awarded an annual Technology and Innovation Agency Platform (TIA) grant of R17 million for the next five years early this year.

“I am able to do what I do and achieve all this because of teamwork. I have a value chain of teams from support staff, cleaners, security, technical and research scientists with me. I have good students, postdoctoral fellows as well as management behind me.

“I hope such an environment can be given to all researchers to do what they do best and be supported fully and genuinely by senior management with decisions that are favourable to growing the institution without any favouritism or prejudice to anyone. It has indeed been a good year with all the funding we received. Watch this space for more.”

Looking forward most to China

Prof Matsabisa says he is looking forward to taking some of his postgraduate students with him to spend time at BUCM for training and conducting research. Says Prof Matsabisa: “I have very good postgraduate research students that need all the support. I look forward to spending a month or so at BUCM teaching BUCM students. I will leave my students there in good hands for 6-12 months per year. I promise, when these students return, they will return with a positive attitude for research and accountability.”

This was the case for him when he got a British scholarship to spend time at GlaxoSmithKline and the University of Bradford in the UK for his PhD. 

Prof Matsabisa hopes to use this Professorship at BUCM to popularise the work of the UFS and to create opportunities for new and upcoming researchers in the field of Pharmacology of Medicinal plants. This is his development plan

News Archive

UFS students should register like this
2004-12-15

Student activities on the main campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) will start next year when first-time entering first-year students will be welcomed by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, Prof Frederick Fourie, on 15 January at 11:00 in the Callie Human Centre on campus.

“The registration process will start on 17 January 2005 when first-time entering first-year students, who applied for admission before 30 November 2005, will start registering. These students may register until 21 January 2005 according to a programme,” said Mr Vernon Collett, Registrar: Academic Student Services at the UFS.

Senior undergraduate students may register from 22-29 January 2005 and postgraduate students, first-time entering first-year students and other students who applied for admission after 30 November 2004 until 15 January 2005, may register from 31 January- 4 February 2005 according to a programme.

According to Mr Collett postgraduate students who applied for admission from 15 January- 11 February 2005, may register according to a programme from 7-11 February 2005. Students who want to change their field of study or want to amend their modules, may do it during this period.

“To ensure an orderly registration process, strict adherence to the registration programme will be maintained,” said Mr Collett.

Applications for the Career Preparation Programme (CPP) close on 21 January 2005 en those for upgrading courses in Education, will close on 2 February 2005.

“Pipeline students from Vista must register on the UFS’s Vista campus on the dates already mentioned and first-year students from Vista must register on the UFS’s main campus,” said Mr Collett.

All registrations will take place daily from 08:00 in the Callie Human Centre on the main campus.

According to Mr Collett a variety of services will be available to students in the Callie Human Centre during the registration – among others advice on bursaries, loans, staff and council bursaries, enquiries for international students, information on class and room tables, student cards, vehicle permits etc.

At the Qwaqwa campus all first-time entering first-year students must report on 17 January 2005, after which the registration of these students will take place according to a specific programme. Application for admission to this campus close on 1 February 2005. First-time entering first-year students will be welcomed by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, Prof Frederick Fourie, on 22 January 2005 at 11:00 in the Nelson Mandela Hall on campus.

Lectures at the UFS’s main campus as well as the Vista- and Qwaqwa-campusses will commence on 31 January 2005.

Prospective students who want to apply or who have any enquiries can call (051) 401-3000 or visit the UFS web site late in December 2004 at www.uovs.ac.za.

A complete registration programme for first-time entering first-year students who registered before 30 November 2004 will appear in Volksblad of 29 Desember 2004.

      Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
15 December 2004

 

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