Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
28 January 2022 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Supplied
Prof Francis E Smit has been elected as member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), an elite international organisation whose members have made significant contributions to the care and treatment of cardiothoracic disease throughout the world.
Prof Francis E Smit, Head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, has become only the third person from sub-Saharan Africa to receive the honour of being elected as a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS).

Stringent membership requirements

The AATS is an august international academic organisation founded more than a century ago by the earliest pioneers in the field of thoracic surgery, to which members are elected according to merit. Membership requires sponsorship and referees from senior and active members, followed by an extensive vetting process by the membership committee.  Currently, the association has more than 1 400 active members from 41 countries. Around 30 to 40 new members are accepted annually, of which only 10 to 15 reside outside the USA and Canada. Successful applicants are selected based on an established international leadership record in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, as demonstrated by their commitment to society and institutions, training and education, research and innovation – including peer-reviewed publications, excellence in patient care, and mentorship of the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons.

"We are extremely proud of this well-deserved international accolade bestowed on Prof Smit,” said Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor. “Not only does it validate the high standard of cardiothoracic training at the UFS, but also our commitment to multi-disciplinary research and internationalisation."  

Benefits of membership

For Prof Smit, the main benefit of membership lies in the fact that it facilitates high-level collaboration with USA-based researchers and companies, which will contribute towards his vision of making the UFS Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery a leading multi-disciplinary research and training unit with national and international collaborators.

Prof Smit is a firm believer in the potential and relevance of South African research. One of his greatest achievements since his appointment at the UFS in 2004, was the establishment of the interdisciplinary Robert WM Frater Cardiovascular Research Centre in 2015. 

The Frater Centre has three divisions, namely clinical research, bio-engineering, and an integrated multi-disciplinary training and education simulation programme, establishing collaborative research and postgraduate training programmes based on a strategy of interdisciplinary, inter-university, national, and international cooperation. 

World-class cardiovascular research at UFS 

The clinical research division – notably the interdisciplinary cardiomyopathy study group – conducts clinical research in adult and paediatric cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery. The bio-engineering division has developed a patented tissue-engineered de-cellularised bovine pericardial patch for use in cardiovascular and other surgical disciplines. A sub-section of this division conducts research in alternative fixation processes of de-cellularised biological tissue, re-cellularisation and organoid generation, as well as in cardiovascular pharmacology. Research is also being conducted on novel heart valve designs, including testing and evaluation in bench and animal models.  A world-class integrated multi-disciplinary simulation-based education and training system has been developed, catering for African needs and programmes.

News Archive

“Deploy your education and not connections,” Chancellor tells graduates
2012-05-16

 

Qwaqwa Autumn Graduation
Photo: Thabo Kessah
16 May 2012

Our Qwaqwa Campus conferred 424 degrees, diplomas and certificates at this year’s autumn graduation ceremony held on 12 May 2012.

Amongst the degrees conferred were two doctorates in Polymer Science, two Master’s of Arts in Geography and African Languages, respectively, five Master’s of Science degrees in Physics (3) and Polymer Science (2) and 37 honours degrees in Education, Zoology, Physics, Botany and Polymer Science.

In their congratulatory messages, both the Vice-Rector: Institutional Affairs, Prof. Teuns Verschoor, and the Chancellor, Dr Khotso Mokhele, challenged the graduates to start focusing their attention beyond their graduation on what they both referred to as “the real world”.

“Graduation ceremonies are a fantastic event, but you must never lose sight of appreciating the support given by those around you,” said Dr Mokhele.

“This hall was full of shouting and yes, you must bask in that glory, knowing that you have achieved part of your goals. Yes, this is your moment, so shine. You deserve it. You have earned it.”

“However, this noise also means you must go out there and face the real world. You are graduating in a model country on how people can reconcile, despite their painful and divided past. You deserve all the accolades, but that model country is disappearing before your eyes. How can you mess up what Mandela, Biko, Sobukwe, Nardine Gordimer lived and fought for? How can you mess up such a good thing?” Dr Mokhele asked of an attentive audience that included proud parents and siblings, as well as educators and learners from the Thabo Mofutsanyana District.

“Go out there and deploy your education and not your connections, as these are embedded in corruption. Go out there and help get rid of the patronage system where hard-workers are more likely to be constructively dismissed as they stand in the way of those with corrupt tendencies. Save this country from becoming another Zimbabwe. Let us do whatever it takes to save this country. Let these matriculants who are here today want to walk that red carpet with pride in the next few years,”,said Dr Mokhele.

Dignitaries in attendance included the former Chief Minister of the former Qwaqwa homeland, Dr T K Mopeli; the Executive Mayor of the Dihlabeng Local Municipality, Councillor Tjhetane Mofokeng; Dr SWF Moloi (Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District) and representatives from various government departments.
 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept