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Research and Innovation Accelerating Transformation towards Global Sustainability

06 February 2023 | Story Edzani Nephalela | Photo FVH Productions

Happy Khambule, a former commissioner of President Cyril Ramaphosa's Climate Change Commission and the Environment and Energy Manager at Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), emphasised that consensus could be the key to global transformation. He highlights the 2030 National Development Plan's 'Just Transition', which aims for environmental sustainability, decent work, social inclusiveness, and poverty elimination.

A unified effort from multiple stakeholders is needed to effectively address the effects of global warming on agriculture, food security, electricity outages, and infrastructure damage caused by natural disasters. These were some key observations from speakers during the Fifth National Global Change Conference (GCC5) at the University of the Free State (UFS) from 30 January to 2 February 2023.

The conference, hosted by the UFS, the Department of Science and Innovation, and the National Research Foundation (NRF), saw academics, government officials, and other stakeholders from across the country gather on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.

Topics discussed during the four-day conference included climate change and biodiversity, alternative energy, ocean monitoring, resilient cities and communities, technologies for global change, etc.

Consensus decision-making strategy

Looking at South Africa's current energy crisis, Prof Dawid Serfontein, Professor in the Renewable Energy Research Group at North-West University (NWU), told delegates that power outages could be managed more effectively if role players in the coal and solar sectors and communities work together to address this problem.

“The prospects of electricity generation in South Africa are clouded by disagreements and competing ideas among those with access to resources. The market has been transformed – while cheap and high-quality coal and labour were readily available in the past, all the top-notch coal has been depleted. The coal that is used today is 40% lower in quality and is causing harm to power plants. Nuclear energy, on the other hand, has become an unaffordable option due to stringent regulations. This poses challenges for those who need access. However, by collaborating, we can improve access and affordability of renewable resources such as solar panels, despite the coal shortage," said Dr Serfontein.

Happy Khambule, Manager of Environment and Energy at Business Unity South Africa and former adviser to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Climate Change Commission, echoed similar sentiments and said that addressing the effect of global warming requires a unified effort from multiple stakeholders to ensure the success of these strategies.

“To tackle the impact of global warming on food security and agriculture, it is important to be practical and consider all relevant factors. This necessitates collaboration among multiple stakeholders for effective implementation of these strategies," Khambule indicated, referring to the 2030 National Development Plan and the Climate Change Policy.

Expectations and outcomes

Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, also spoke about the effects of climate change in his welcoming address at the start of the conference. He told delegates that high temperatures, extreme weather, droughts, floods, the depletion of water resources and biodiversity, soil erosion, and decreased subsistence economies could impact human health and safety, food and water security, and socio-economic development.

The attendees also conducted a tree-planting ceremony in honour of the late Profs Maarten de Wit, Earth Stewardship Professor at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and founder Director of the African Earth Observatory Network (AEON), and Bob Scholes, former Professor of Systems Ecology, a Director of the Global Change Institute (GCI) and a Distinguished Professor at Wits, recognising their significant contributions to climate-change research.

Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor speaking at the opening ceremony of GCC5 on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus

Prof Francois Engelbrecht speaks during the GCCS.

Delegates attending the GCC5 at the UFS.

Prof Tshilidzi Marwala, outgoing Vice-Chancellor and Principal at UJ delivered the GCC5 keynote address

A delegate listening to one of speakers during GCC5

The opening ceremony in the Wynand Mouton Theatre on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus

From the left; Prof Thilidizi Marwala; Mr Shonisani Munzhedzi; Dr Phil Mjwara; Prof Francis Petersen; Mr Thembeni Nxangisa; Mr Imraan Patel and Prof Fulufhelo Nelwamondo

A plaque honouring the late Prof Maarten de Wit was installed during a tree planting ceremony at GCC5.

Another plaque honouring the late Prof Bob Scholes was installed during a tree planting ceremony at GCC5.

News Archive

Council votes on appointment of senior staff

2004-11-18

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) today voted on the filling of three senior vacancies, including one post at Dean level and two at the level of Vice-Dean.

The Council voted as follows:


Dr Natie Luyt will be offered the post of Dean: Student Affairs	Prof Engela Pretorius will be offered the post of Vice-Dean: Faculty of Humanities	Dr Choice Makhetha will be offered the post of Vice-Dean: Student Affairs

“There are special challenges for the UFS in the short and medium term regarding transformation of our residences, and a certain combination of management qualities and skills is desirable. As a result of the diversity of the UFS’s student community it is therefore important to us to follow a team approach to deal with the challenges. With the combination of Drs Luyt and Makhetha, I believe we will be able to manage student affairs effectively and skillfully,” says Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

“It is wonderful that we are able to celebrate the outcome of this process that has brought forward such excellent candidates who reflect our country’s diversity. It shows that we can achieve the goals of quality and diversity at the same time,” says Prof Fourie.

Prof Pretorius obtained all her qualifications (BA, BA (Hons) (cum laude), MA (cum laude) and D Phil) from the UFS, except for the Certificate in Gender Policy Management (cum laude) which she obtained in 2000 from WITS. She joined the Department of Sociology at UFS in 1980 and has headed the Department since 2001. She acted as Vice-Dean: Faculty of Humanities since July 2004. She has some thirty publications to her credit, published both nationally and internationally and has delivered 20 national and international papers. She is a member of the South African Sociological Association and is a member of the Council of the association and of the Editorial Board of Society in Transition, the society’s journal. She is also a member of the South African Academy for Science and Art and the Federation of African Women Educationalists in South Africa (FAWESA). Project involvement includes the Australian Women’s Executive Development Programme and the project Executive Development of Senior Women in South African Higher Education Institutions. She is also an NRF panelist.

Dr Luyt obtained his qualifications (BA, BA (Hons) (cum laude), MA (cum laude) and D Phil) at the UFS and started his career at the same institution in 1980 as lecturer in Political Science. He was promoted to senior lecturer in 1983 and appointed as Director: Student Affairs in 1997. He has been acting as Dean: Student Affairs since 2003. Dr Luyt completed several work-related training courses, among others a course in ethnic and multiculturality at the Swiss Institute for Federalism and a course in conflict management at the South Tyrolean Economic and Social Institute.

Dr Makheta also obtained all her qualifications (BA, BA (Hons), MA in Political Science and Ph D in Political Science) at the UFS and started working as a student assistant in Political Science at the same institution in 1999. She was promoted to junior assistant in 2000, coordinator and facilitator of Political Science in 2001, assistant/acting Director: Student Affairs in 2001 and acting Director: Student Affairs in 2003. Dr Makhetha is currently a Senior Political Analyst at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The UFS Council also approved the promotion of nine professors to the rank of senior professor. They are Proff Louise Cilliers (Department English and Classical Languages), Dap Louw (Department of Psychology), Philip Nel (Department Afro-Asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice), Dirk van den Berg (Department of History of Art and Visual Culture Studies) Dingie van Rensburg (Director: Centre for Health Systems Research and Develoment), Andries Raath (Department of Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law), James du Preez (Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology), Johan Grobbelaar (Department of Plant Sciences) and Louis Scott (Department of Plant Sciences).

This is the first group ever of senior professors at the UFS. The post level was created to provide better career and earnings opportunities for high quality academics and to increase the attractiveness of an academic career to young people.

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

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