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23 February 2022 | Story Lacea Loader

From 24 February 2022 – as an interim solution to the challenges experienced with the disruption of classes on the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus during the week of 21 February 2022 – the academic programme will continue in a differentiated and flexible online mode in some modules within faculties.

Face-to-face classes will continue in those modules where online teaching is not possible at this stage. Students will be informed by their respective faculties as to which modules will be moving online, and which will remain face to face.

This is a temporary measure to enable the campus to return to stability. The arrangement is estimated to continue for two to three weeks at the most, after which the academic programme will return to the approved teaching plans for 2022.

As an additional measure and to mitigate the challenges of remote off-campus internet access, 10 GB of data is provided free of charge through Global Protect to all registered students for the next month. This will enable students to link to learning resources off campus at no cost. The use of social media is, however, not included in the 10 GB.

Enquiries regarding GlobalProtect can be directed to the ICT Services Call Centre at +27 51 401 9111 (option 4).

Computer laboratories on the campus will remain available to vaccinated students whose modules will be moving online.

Issued by:
Lacea Loader
Director: Communication and Marketing
University of the Free State
loaderl@ufs.ac.za

23 February 2022

News Archive

UFS gets equipment worth R3,9 million to do doping tests for the World Cup
2010-05-18

One of the new state-of-the-art machines to be used for dope testing.
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe


The South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein boasts new state-of-the-art equipment worth R3,9 million with which doping tests for next month’s 2010 FIFA World Cup will be done.

“Our new instruments are some of the best in the world,” said a proud Dr Pieter van der Merwe, Head of the laboratory.

SADoCoL, housed in the Department of Pharmacology at the UFS, has done doping analyses for many international sport events in South Africa and elsewhere in the world, including the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the Sevens Rugby World Cup in Dubai.

“Because of our international recognition and accreditation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) the laboratory was selected to be the official doping control facility of the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” he said.

“FIFA has entered into a contract with us and they will send all the urine and blood samples for the World Cup to this laboratory. I must hasten to say that it is not only for the World Cup. We will continue with the work that we have been doing all these years regarding doping analysis in South Africa.”

“It is an honour for the Department and the UFS to offer a world-class service to a world-class association like FIFA and to be associated with a tournament of this magnitude.”

Being the only one of its kind in South Africa, and one of only two in Africa (the other being in Tunisia), it is not surprising that FIFA has entered into this partnership with SADoCoL.

“It is a well-known fact that we have been, and still are, the official doping control testing facility in South Africa for many years now. So there is also a lot of African involvement in our laboratory where African countries send samples to us for analysis,” he said.

It is not for the first time, though, that SADoCoL is involved with FIFA. The laboratory did all the testing for the Confederations Cup that was held in South Africa in June 2009.

It had just been extended to accommodate the new equipment. An official viewing session of the new facility was held last week.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
18 May 2010
 

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