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23 November 2022
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Story André Damons
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Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, Professor and Director of Pharmacology, will play host to the various stakeholders to network and share knowledge on current developments in indigenous knowledge research and product development, biodiversity, innovation, and commercialisation of the IK-based research products. The Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) for Health unit in the Department of Pharmacology within the UFS Faculty of Health Sciences was last year awarded an annual Technology Innovation Agency Platform (TIA) grant of R17 million for the next five years.
The research and teaching programme in the School of Clinical Medicine has since been rebranded and is now known as the African Medicines Innovation and Technology Development Platform (AMITD), which will strive to respond to community health needs and address industry research needs and challenges.
The indaba will showcase progress made by TIA and other entities in enriching the development and commercialisation of IK-based innovations. It will take place from 24 to 25 November 2022 in the Equitas Senate Hall at the UFS.
Prof Matsabisa is the chairperson of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicines for COVID-19. He is also a visiting professor at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) in Beijing, China, and the Deputy President of the South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology.
Professor awarded a Fulbright Scholarship
2008-06-24
 Prof. Frans Swanepoel, Director: Research Development and Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development at the University of the Free State (UFS), has received a Senior Fulbright Scholarship. He has been appointed as a visiting professor at Cornell University, New York, United States of America (USA) and will spend the period September 2008-January 2009 as a Fulbright Scholar at the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development (CIFAD) where he will co-teach a Ph.D. course on agricultural development in Africa. The Fulbright Scholarship is regarded as one of the most prestigious awards by the USA government. The purpose of the scholarship is to promote mutual understanding, dialogue and partnership between the USA and other countries around the world.
During his stay Prof. Swanepoel will also conduct research supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates- and W.K. Kellogg Foundations to revise agricultural education curricula in Africa to become more responsive to the needs of smallholder African family farms. The goal of this research programme is the emergence of an agricultural human resource and knowledge system that drives smallholder farmer-led development and innovation to achieve improved productivity, food security and economic development in Africa.
Photo: Supplied |