Dr Aldo Stroebel, researcher at the Directorate Research Development of the University of the Free State (UFS), was appointed as the first head of the UFS Internationalisation Office. Dr Stroebel joined the UFS in 2003 and was mainly responsible for identifying international research funding opportunities. 

He is also affiliated to the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture at the UFS and co-ordinates the training and accreditation component of one of the programmes of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative (ASGI-SA) managed by the UFS. Dr Stroebel is tasked with the responsibility to create, in close co-operation with Deans, an effective support structure for the two main components of internationalisation, namely international student support and the internationalisation of research. His appointment is effective from 1 January 2007.