Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS hosts Heads of Diplomatic Mission breakfast in South Africa

17 June 2022 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Vivid Images

Heads of Mission to South Africa — Representatives of Heads of Diplomatic Mission in South Africa

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof Francis Petersen, hosted the Heads of Diplomatic Mission breakfast in South Africa on 9 June in Pretoria.

Fifteen foreign missions attended the event, with representation from Argentina, Belgium, Egypt, the European Union, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Spain, Switzerland, the United States, and Zimbabwe. The programme included a presentation by the Rector, followed by an engagement session.

Prof Francis Petersen’s overarching message during his presentation was that the UFS is ready to engage, co-create, and collaborate in the international arena, and that it produces graduates who are holistically developed to engage the world of work in their respective areas of specialisation. “We cannot underestimate the value of co-creation and collaboration between the Global North and Global South institutions of higher learning as equal partners. The UFS has an array of expertise that we deem as core drivers of partnerships, which has the potential to offer immense value through collaboration,” said Prof Petersen.

The event offered the UFS the opportunity to reach out and engage the international community on potential partnerships and collaborations. The Rector provided insight into the UFS, while positioning the university as well as current and potential collaborations with institutions of higher learning and other sectors in the respective heads of mission countries.

The Heads of Diplomatic Mission Breakfast was a collaboration between the Department of Communication and Marketing, the Office for International Affairs, and Institutional Advancement.

News Archive

Number of NRF-rated researchers increases in 2012

2012-10-29

29 October 2012

Three researchers at the University of the Free State received B-ratings for 2013 from the National Research Foundation (NRF). Prof. Johan Henning, Dean of Law, obtained the highest rating in his field of mercantile law in South Africa, a B1.

Prof. Jackie Naudé from Classical and Near Eastern Studies and Prof. Dingie Janse van Rensburg, Professor Extraordinary at the Centre for Health Systems Research and Development, also obtained B3-ratings. Prof. Naudé is the first B-rated researcher in the Faculty of Humanities.

Prof. Helene Strauss obtained the highest rating (Y1) for a UFS young scholar in the Humanities.

In total, the NRF rated researchers at the UFS grew from 95 in 2011 to 109 in 2012, a growth of almost 15 percent.

The NRF ratings committee consist of three reviewers from South Africa and three from abroad. A rating is valid for six years and researchers must reapply for rating before the end of that period.

For a B1-rating all reviewers must be firmly convinced that the applicant enjoys considerable international recognition for the high quality of the researcher’s recent output, with some indicating that the researcher is a leading international scholar in a field. For a B3-rating most of the reviewers must be convinced that the researcher enjoys international recognition for the high quality and impact of the research.

Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, said in the UFS Research Report “The UFS now has among the highest number of NRF-rated scientists per size of the academic faculty and we have seen the productivity graph bear witness to a record growth in our funded research outputs; we have won our first-ever NRF/DST Research Chairs. In each of these achievements, the excellence we seek comes with and through the diversity we celebrate.”

More ratings and renewals were expected by the time of Bult went to print.. More than 35 researchers applied for ratings or renewal of ratings.

Colleagues who were admitted to the prestigious Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) are Profs. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Driekie Hay, Heidi Hudson, Lodewyk Kock, Odireleng Ntwaeaborwa, Hugh Patterton, Ian Phimister and Melanie Walker. ASSAf was established in 1996 with the mission of using science for the benefit of society. New members are elected after nomination by four existing members (at least two of whom do so from personal knowledge of the candidate). ASSAf has some 350 members and represents South Africa in the international community of science academies.
Dr Marieka Gryzenhout of Plant Sciences became a member of South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS). SAYAS celebrated its first year in 2012. It was launched as a means to enable South Africa’s young scientists to fully participate in locally and internationally relevant research and development agendas. Prof. Aldo Stroebel, Director: Internationalisation, is also a member of SAYAS.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

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