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UFS Job Shadows in Germany

20 July 2022 | Story Nonkululeko Nxumalo | Photo Supplied

UFS Academic staff job shadow in Germany — From the left: Helene van der Merwe (Lecturer: Sustainable Food Systems and Development), Herkulaas Combrink (Lecturer: Economic and Management Sciences, and Interim Co-director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Futures), Prof Dirk Fornahl (Research associate/researcher at Friedrich Schiller University Jena), Dr Karen Booysen (Lecturer: Business Management), Ketshepileone Matlhoko (Junior Lecturer: Sustainable Food Systems and Development), Gretha Lotz (Technopolis intern), Prof Johan van Niekerk (HOD: Sustainable Food Systems and Development), Prof Katinka de Wet (Associate Professor: Sociology, and Interim Co-director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Futures)

A group of academic staff and PhD students from the University of the Free State (UFS) recently visited the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU) in Germany for a three-week (27 May-16 June 2022) regional innovation training workshop and job shadowing. The opportunity was extended to the university’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Futures (ICDF) as well as the faculties of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Economic and Management Sciences.

Building a regional innovation cluster for agriculture

With this training, the UFS, in collaboration with the FSU, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), the Department of Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA), the Department of Agriculture (DOA), and other industry partners, aims to build a regional innovation cluster for agriculture in the South African perspective that drives innovation, technology advancement, and trade methodology among academic institutions, the government, and industries.

“The collaboration between the UFS and the FSU will have significant benefits for both universities in terms of knowledge sharing and learning. However, the biggest benefit of this project is to build a better community, facilitate innovative solutions for future challenges, and provide academic collaborations,” said Herkulaas Combrink, Interim Co-director of the ICDF.

Another regional innovation cluster in the agricultural sector is arranged within the Cape Winelands region and is centred on wine and liquor production. The projects between the UFS and the relevant stakeholders will grow other agricultural spheres such as textiles, livestock, and diverse crop irrigation.

“We are interested in a broad topic focused on climate change in the challenging context of developmental issues, inequalities, pressing issues of food insecurity, and demands/ opportunities brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Prof Katinka de Wet, Interim Co-director of the ICDF, highlighted.

According to Combrink, the UFS has been engaging online and in person with academic staff from FSU since 2021 to build the skills and capacity to drive this regional innovation.

“Academic institutions, government, and industry rely on these integral bridges to drive a sustainable digital future as well as to capacitate the next generation with the skills to increase the level of innovation required to remain relevant in the context of tomorrow,” he also said.

News Archive

Graduation ceremony awaited with great excitement

2011-06-22

Everything is running according to plan on the Bloemfontein Campus of our university for the graduation ceremony of Ms Oprah Winfrey, which is taking place in the Callie Human Centre today, 24 June 2011.

The graduation ceremony, during which an Honorary Doctorate in Education will be conferred upon Ms Winfrey, promises to be something special. Measured against the smooth course of the preparations, the speed at which the tickets were obtained and the continuous interest amongst UFS staff and students, as well as members of the public, this promises to be a real 2011 highlight for all who are going to attend the event.

Strict safety and security measures shall be enforced and therefore, ticket holders are requested to make sure that they arrive early on the Bloemfontein Campus.

The UFS is aware of the fact that tickets are sold illegally at shopping centres in Bloemfontein. Computicket equipment shall be used on the premises tomorrow to ensure that only persons who have original tickets in their possession are admitted. People found to be in possession of forged tickets tomorrow shall be prosecuted.

The doors of the Callie Human Centre shall open at 13:00 on Friday for ticket holders and shall be closed strictly at 14:00. For safety and security reasons, nobody shall be allowed to enter or leave the building after the doors were closed.

Although the entrance gates to the Bloemfontein Campus shall not be closed, certain streets on the campus will be closed for some time today (23 June 2011) and the whole of Friday (24 June 2011). More information about this is available at www.ufs.ac.za

Clear signs, as well as voluntary staff, shall guide parking visitors to their parking spaces. The volunteers were selected after staff of all three campuses offered their assistance for the day.

Amongst the 4 500 guests attending the graduation ceremony are various well-known personalities and dignitaries, alumni, learners and other stakeholders of the university. Good reaction has also been received from the local, national and international media.

The programme in the Callie Human Centre is as follows:

13:00 Doors open
14:00 Doors close
14:30 Opening performances
15:30 Graduation ceremony
16:00 Ms. Winfrey’s speech and question and answer session with students
18:00 Programme ends.

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