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Nico Janse van Rensburg named recipient of UFS Council medal

16 February 2022 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo Sonia Small

At a meeting held on 26 November 2021, the Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) approved the awarding of the UFS Council Medal for outstanding service to Nico Janse van Rensburg, Senior Director: University Estates.

Building our campuses

Janse van Rensburg completed a BSc Quantity Surveying degree at the UFS in 1989 before joining the institution’s then Department of Physical Planning in 2004, after an impressive career as quantity surveyor. In 2012, he was appointed Senior Director: University Estates, continuously adding value to the infrastructure of our three campuses – totalling more than 500 000 m² – as well as experimental farms and off-campus entities of more than 1 000 ha.

He has a persistent green approach that not only reduces the UFS’ carbon footprint, but also saves the institution millions of rands in energy savings and maintenance. Indigenous and waterwise gardens greet staff, students, and visitors to all our campuses, while being housed in well-maintained buildings. All newly built facilities on our campuses are based on green building principles, while an overall optimal building management system ensures efficient energy management.

Mentorship and skills transfer

University Estates, through its procurement management and the leadership of Janse van Rensburg, is also one of the main drivers behind the UFS’ BBBEE scorecard. He initiated a mentoring and skills transfer strategy by means of joint project appointments, enabling previously disadvantaged firms to eventually be appointed independently for similar projects.

To ensure, among others, aesthetically pleasing buildings that offer value for money, Janse van Rensburg and his team have developed a series of technical manuals that outline material specifications and expectations. Since 2012, he has been instrumental in more than 1 000 projects at the UFS.

The university recognises and commends Janse van Rensburg’s indispensable contribution to creating inclusive and quality spaces on our campuses, where staff, students, and visitors can experience our culture of care. His motto is clearly visible in all the projects he completes: Get things done – within time, budget, quality standards, expectations, and user satisfaction.

“It is an immense privilege to be leading the University Estates team, and I am humbled to be the recipient of this prestigious medal. University Estates is all about teamwork, and an award such as this can only be possible through the commitment, dedication, and support of a very capable team, as well as colleagues throughout the UFS. I would also like to thank our very capable leaders, such as Prof Prakash Naidoo, Vice-Rector: Operations, for his support and guidance. I have learnt a lot on this journey and a lot remains to be learnt. All of this could only be achieved with help that goes beyond one’s own strengths and abilities,” said Janse van Rensburg.”

Get things done – within time, budget, quality standards, expectations, and user satisfaction.

The Council Medal will be presented to Janse van Rensburg during a graduation ceremony in 2022.

News Archive

Publication on indigenous knowledge systems

2005-10-21

Dr Otsile Ntsoane (acting Director: IKS, Department of Science and Technology) and Prof Philip Nel (Director: Africa Studies at the UFS and guest editor of the publication) at the launch of the publication

UFS launches most comprehensive publication on indigenous knowledge systems
A unique collection of essays on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) was launched yesterday (20 October 2005) by the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Programme of Africa Studies.

The essays are published as a special edition of INDILINGA, the African Journal for Indigenous Knowledge Systems and is an outcome of the colloquium on Indigenous Knowledge Systems that was presented last year by the UFS Director of Africa Studies in cooperation with the National Research Council.

“The amount and diversity of materials on IKS brought together under one cover is unique as there are no other South African publications of this magnitude on this issue. It contains papers of international experts on IKS such as Prof Fritz Wallner from Austria and Prof Gayatri Spivak, foremost postcolonial theorist from India,” said Prof Philip Nel, Director of Africa Studies and guest editor of the publication.

“The publication is a rich source field for students and scholars to exploit because most of the sources quoted in the articles are recent, fresh and relevant. The contributors are largely people responsible for managing, fostering and studying IKS in a responsible manner,” said Prof Nel.

“An added value of the publication is the inclusion of the policy document on IKS that was adopted by Cabinet in November 2004,” said Prof Nel.

“Millions of people in South Africa are faced with the painful choice of abandoning their heritage. In this choice, the study and management of IKS has a major role to play; on the one hand, to encourage as much assimilation of traditional knowledge as possible into the modern systems, and on the other hand to provide a “language” and a “grammar” for indigenous people through which they can access modernity,” said Prof Nel.

The IKS debate involves questions of African identity, protection of indigenous communities and practices, political aspects as well as the scientific integrity of the enterprise.

The publication displays the range of burning questions that have to be resolved in this field such as mainstreaming IKS in academic debate and practice, recognition and protection of the knowledge holders, bio-prospecting and bio-piracy, bio and ethnic healing, lack of textbooks and field manuals, etc and will prove worthwhile for future researchers.

“One of the main reasons for publishing this volume is the fact that IKS should be studied not only to provide a sense of pride in the past, or to engender respect for indigenous peoples, but also to enable people in indigenous mind sets to make a better transition into the world of science and technology,” said Prof Nel.

The guest speaker at the launch was Dr Otsile Ntsoane, acting Director of IKS at the Department of Science and Technology. In his speech Dr Ntsoane stressed the symbolic and concrete value of the publication. “The publication can have a great social impact and the research results can contribute to chancing the economic landscape of South Africa,” he said.

The publication can be purchased at R150 per copy. For more information, Ms Steffi Cawood, Programme Coordinator for Africa Studies at the UFS can be contacted at (051) 401-2614.

Media release
Issued by:Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
21 October 2005

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