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10 March 2022 | Story Olivia Kunguma | Photo Supplied
Prof Abiodun Ogundeji new director of DiMTEC
The new Director of the UFS Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa, Prof Abiodun Oguneji.
The University of the Free State – Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (UFS-DiMTEC) welcomes the new permanent Director, Prof Abiodun Ogundeji.  

The Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa, fondly known as ‘DiMTEC’, was established in 2000. Since then, the centre has been headed by Prof Andries Jordaan, who has created an impressive and expansive disaster risk management footprint in Africa and beyond for more than 17 years. Prof Jordaan retired in 2017, leaving the centre with huge shoes to fill. After several listings of the vacant position, a substantial appointment was only made in 2022 in Prof Abiodun Ogundeji as the new Director of DiMTEC. He will assume his new post on 1 March.

Extensive experience

Prof Ogundeji is an astute and versatile applied economist and National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researcher. He obtained his PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of the Free State. Before joining DiMTEC as Director, he was a guest lecturer presenting classes on the economic impact assessment of disasters and the management of floods. Prof Ogundeji was also Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, where he presented classes and supervised master’s, PhD, and postdoctoral candidates.  

“As a researcher, I work with international and local organisations, leading most of the projects as principal investigator.  One of my greatest collaborations was when I was a research fellow at the social protection department of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO); I believe the experience I gained from this association contributed to my career growth,” said Prof Ogundeji.

He has published 49 articles in peer-reviewed journals, delivered several conference presentations, supervised 14 master’s candidates, and promoted five PhD candidates in Agricultural Economics and Disaster Risk Management.
Prof Ogundeji's current research focuses on projects aimed at assisting farmers to adapt to extreme climate events, thereby ensuring food security. He recently completed a project as principal investigator, titled 'Development of scenarios for future agricultural water use in South Africa', sponsored by the Water Research Commission of South Africa. 

Prof Ogundeji has strong economic research and analytical skills, and a strong pedigree in econometrics, development and environmental economics, economic and socio-economic analysis. He has received awards for his research efforts at both national and international conferences.

“The faculty welcomes Prof Ogundeji as the new Director of DIMTEC. As an established, rated researcher, and with the vision that he presented during the interview, we are of the opinion that the centre is in excellent hands and that he will take it to new heights. As an agricultural economist, he replaces the previous director who was also an agricultural economist, filling the void created with the retirement of Prof Jordaan. He is familiar with the operational procedures of the centre, as he has been involved in the teaching of a module for several years. We therefore trust that the transition to a new management will be smooth,” said Prof Danie Vermeulen, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. 

“During my term of office, I had the privilege of working with Prof Ogundeji from as early as the time when he completed his master’s until he became a lecturer in one of the centre’s modules. I have seen him grow, and to date, we have partnered in several research projects. I am really happy about his appointment; academically it will bring a good balance between quantitative and qualitative focus in research. Most scientists in DiMTEC are mainly focusing on qualitative work, and Prof Ogundeji is excellent in quantitative research. He will continue where I left off as an agricultural economist and will bring back a good balance between economic impacts and disaster risk assessments. He has been lecturing with me for more than 15 years in Disaster Risk Assessments, which is a big module in the centre. He is very experienced and will be an excellent asset to the centre. I have no doubt that his appointment will move the centre to greater heights,” said Prof Jordaan.

One of UFS-DiMTEC’s long-serving Associate Professors from the United Nations University in Bonn, Prof Joerg Szarzynski, said “The United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) congratulates Prof Ogundeji on his appointment as the new Director of DiMTEC! We are indeed looking forward to yet another decade of very fruitful collaboration between our institutes and all colleagues and friends involved.”

The long-term vision for disaster studies and research 

In response to his appointment and to shed more light on his vision for UFS-DiMTEC and the disaster management fraternity as a whole, Prof Ogundeji said, “It’s time for DiMTEC to take its position as the leading centre for disaster management and training in Africa, and as the gateway to Africa for other international organisations wanting to do research in Africa. I believe we have the personnel, passion, ability, and experience to serve the various stakeholders in South Africa and the international community.” 

News Archive

UFS the only university in South Africa with a P-rated history researcher
2016-12-13

Description: Dr Daniel Spence Tags: Dr Daniel Spence  

Dr Daniel Spence has been earmarked by the NRF
to become a future international leader in his field
of expertise.
Photo: Supplied

The University of the Free State (UFS) is the only university in South Africa with a P-rated History researcher. Dr Daniel Spence, a postdoctoral Research Fellow at the International Studies Group (IGS), and a member of the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestige Scholar’s Programme at the UFS, was last week awarded a National Research Foundation P-rating by the National Research Foundation (NRF). Dr Spence is the first South African historian to achieve this honour.

Leader of the pack
P-ratings are given to young researchers, usually under the age of 35, who have the potential to become leaders in their field. Researchers in this group are recognised by all, or the overwhelming majority of, reviewers as having demonstrated the potential to become future international leaders.

The rating is awarded on the basis of exceptional research performance and output from their doctoral and early postdoctoral research careers.

Other researchers from the UFS who obtained P-ratings in the past, are Prof Lodewyk Kock (1986), Prof Zakkie Pretorius (1989), and Prof Robert Schall (1991).

Extraordinary achievement lauded  
“It is an extraordinary achievement. There are fewer P-ratings, than there are A-ratings,” said Prof Neil Roos, associate professor at the ISG. Prof Roos said the P-rating was seldom awarded to researchers within the field of Humanities.

As a member of the ISG, Dr Spence’s research has flourished under the guidance of Prof Ian Phimister. Much of the success of this group is due to the way it operates as an incubator for high-level research, with scholars collaborating with each other.

In addition to Dr Spence’s magnificent P-rating, the ISG currently has three C1-rated researchers (established researchers with a sustained recent record of productivity in their field) and two Y1-rated researchers (researchers 40 years old or younger, who are recognised by all reviewers as having the potential to establish themselves as future leaders in their fields).

“From the time Dr Spence wrote his doctoral thesis on the colonial history of the Royal Navy, he has expanded his field of expertise so that he can address imperial and global histories of race,” said Prof Roos.

Demonstrated research excellence
Dr Spence secured a postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the UFS to develop an African case study to augment his Asian and Caribbean research thesis into a monograph. In March 2013, Dr Spence won a three-year NRF Postdoctoral Innovation Scholarship, and learned Kiswahili ahead of archival research in Kenya and Tanzania from April to May of that year. He has conducted archival and oral research in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, Kenya, Zanzibar, the Cayman Islands, Trinidad, and the UK.

Internationally renowned
Dr Spence is the author of two monographies, the Colonial Naval culture and British imperialism, 1922-67 and A History of the Royal Navy: Empire and Imperialism. He has been invited to present papers and chair panels at over 20 international conferences, workshops and seminars.

The NRF rating system is a benchmarking system through which individuals who exemplify the highest standards of research, as well as those demonstrating strong potential as researchers, are identified by an extensive network of South African and international peer reviewers.

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