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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

UFS extends footprint abroad

2015-12-14

In its constant pursuit of research excellence, the UFS has this year performed well in mainly two areas.

Apart from the research done by the UFS on national level, e.g. the involvement of its researchers with the SKA telescope, the pioneering work they do with the satellite tracking of giraffes, as well as research on trauma, forgiveness and reconciliation – to name but a few of the research areas, the university also has a research focus abroad.

Japan, Europe, America and Botswana. These are just some of the places where academics from the university are involved in research abroad.

Japan

Dr Dirk Opperman, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, and Carmien Tolmie, a PhD student in the same department, visited the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Onna, Japan, during November and December 2014. During the visit, experiments were performed in the Microbiology and Biochemistry of Secondary Metabolite Unit of Dr Holger Jenke-Kodama.

This formed part of a larger NRF-funded project on carcinogenic toxins produced in certain Aspergillus fungi. These fungi infect food and feedstuff and are a big concern in developing countries because it may lead to severe economic losses. The research ultimately aims to find inhibitors to block the production of these fungal toxins.

Europe and America

In 2012, an international network was established in the frame of the FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IRSES programme, called hERG-related risk assessment of botanicals (hERGscreen). The South African group included Dr Susan Bonnet and Dr Anke Wilhelm, both from the UFS Department of Chemistry.

Extracts from more than 450 South African plant species have been investigated systematically to assess the potential cardiotoxic risk of commonly consumed botanicals and supplements. The idea of the project, funded by the European Commission, is to identify safety liabilities of botanicals.

Other international partners included the University of Innsbruck, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, University of Basel, University of Vienna, University of Florida, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.

Botswana

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the UFS and Botho University in Botswana in September 2015, which will be valid for three years.

The agreement, includes student and staff exchange programmes, collaborative research, teaching and learning and community engagement activities, sharing of results, and PhD/ MPhil guidance.

Young researchers

Another research focus of the UFS is the development of its young researchers. In 2015, the UFS has delivered 13 Y-rated researchers. Ten of the researchers are from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and three from the Faculty of the Humanities. Three of them received an Y1 rating from the NRF.

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