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15 September 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo UFS Photo Gallery
UFS Qwaqwa Campus
The UFS Qwaqwa Campus.

Recent global happenings have challenged communities and humanity’s capability to solve immediate and major problems. Science has been one of the spaces in which the communities have looked for solutions regarding real threats to lives related to climate change, wars, as well as social and health pandemics. The Qwaqwa Campus will be showcasing Qwaqwa Campus research and scholarship at this year’s research conference, a two-day event which will be held in person, on 29-30 September 2022 at the Senate Hall on campus.

‘Scholarship, Innovation and Science: how can research be used as a tool for the betterment of society?’

Under this theme, the conference will be a space for intellectual debate and the processing of scholarship in innovation, said Prof Pearl Sithole, Vice-Principal: Academic and Research. “Some of the societal challenges have been urgent and pressing, yet some are slow dilemmas shattering the hope of generations for a better future. This conference will present the products of ‘disciplinary and scholarly crafts’, but it also seeks to explore whether science does (or should) have a strategic direction, and perhaps this is what the concept of innovation should entail. It will ponder on whether in the age-old binary between exploratory research and praxis there is a defeating taming of the entrepreneurial edge for the expanse of science in Africa,” she said.

Prof Sithole said the campus would also be launching its research strategy for 2022 to 2026.

Guest speakers include:

• Prof Percy Hlangothi is an Associate Professor of Physical and Polymer Chemistry at the Nelson Mandela University. He is also the inaugural Director of the Centre for Rubber Science and Technology, a research entity in the Faculty of Science at the same institution.

• Mr Lukhona Mnguni is a governance, politics, and development specialist and prolific political analyst specialising in Africa and international relations, as well as a PhD intern at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He currently serves as the Head of Policy and Research at the Rivonia Circle. His work includes a current affairs analytical show on eNCA dubbed On the Spot with Lukhona Mnguni.

• Prof Dipane Hlalele is a Professor of Education and a C2 NRF-rated researcher. He is a highly rated scholar in inclusive education, critical pedagogy, and educational psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Prior to joining UKZN as an associate professor in 2017, he was an assistant dean and senior lecturer at the UFS, a college of education lecturer, and a high school deputy principal and teacher. 

To RSVP please click here on or before 19 September 2022.

News Archive

R8,2-million boost for UFS Qwaqwa campus
2004-08-27

The management of the University of the Free State (UFS) has approved an allocation of R6,8-mililon for upgrading of residences and R1,4-million for other upgrading of the UFS Qwaqwa campus.

According to the Head of the Qwaqwa campus, Prof Peter Mbati, the management also decided that a maintenance manager should be appointed, who will be responsible for dealing with routine maintenance on the Qwaqwa campus.

Prof Mbati said these developments were a major step forward for the Qwaqwa campus as it once again showed management’s commitment to the campus which was incorporated into the UFS in January 2003.

“We can systematically begin to tackle the huge backlog of needs – in terms of maintenance and upgrading – that has built up over many years.

“The new maintenance manager – once appointed – will also ensure that we shorten the turn-around time for addressing routine maintenance issues and in this way improve service delivery on this campus.

“This is not just a financial boost for the campus but I view it as a major boost for staff and student morale. With this commitment from management, staff and students should also commit themselves to the future of this campus,” Prof Mbati said.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
27 August 2004

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