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14 October 2022
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Story Edzani Nephalela
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Photo UFS Photo Archive
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On 20 October 2022, the University of the Free State (UFS) Faculty of Theology and Religion will present the distinguished Tutu-Jonker lecture in honour of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Prof Willie Jonker. These two theologians are well-known in South Africa for their emphasis on reconciliation, and the series of lectures is a tribute to their reconciliatory efforts.
This will be the first in-person Tutu-Jonker lecture since COVID-19 and the passing of Archbishop Tutu. The keynote speaker, Dr Lazarus Mokobake, Chaplain in the South African Defence Force, will deliver the lecture, themed: ‘Faltering resilience – a nation in need of conciliation’.
Registrations close on 14 October 2022.
UFS Ground Studies Laboratory receives accreditation to international standard
2016-03-18
Lore-Mari Deysel, Deputy-Director of the institute for Groundwater Studies.
Photo: Charl Devenish |
The Institute for Groundwater Studies (IGS) Laboratory at the University of the Free State is on equal footing with international testing labs. With its accreditation in March 2016 by SANAS (South African National Accreditation System), the IGS Laboratory now officially meets global standards.
Quality of water
The IGS Laboratory mainly analyses the quality of water samples. When it was originally established in 1989, the lab’s central function was to conduct testing for researchers at the institute itself. “After the public and water boards realised their need to analyse water samples, the IGS Laboratory expanded to deliver a service to these clients,” says Lore-Mari Deysel, Deputy-Director of the institute.
Since suppliers and regulatory authorities will not accept test or calibration results from a lab that is not accredited, the IGS initiated the accreditation process.
Accreditation to international standard
In order to be deemed technically competent and able to receive accreditation, labs must meet the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. ISO/IEC 17025 was first issued in 1999 by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission).According to Deysel, this is the single most important standard for calibration and testing laboratories around the world.
“Laboratories that are accredited to this international standard have demonstrated that they are technically competent and able to produce precise and accurate test and/or calibration data. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the university has the capacity to supply valuable and reliable services alongside the academy,” Deysel says.