Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
18 January 2023 | Story Edzani Nephalela | Photo Henco Myburg
Thembeni Nxangisa
Free State MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Thembeni Nxangisa, representing Minister Barbara Creecy during the Fifth Global Change Conference at the University of the Free State

From 30 January to 2 February 2023, the University of the Free State is hosting researchers, members of industry and government, businesspeople, funders, and foreign diplomatic missions for the fifth National Global Change Conference.

The purpose of the conference is to share and debate current local research and development initiatives that form part of the Global Change Grand Challenge (GCC5), one of the focus areas developed under the Department of Science and Innovation's Ten-Year Innovation Plan.  

The GCC5 supports knowledge generation and technological innovation to enable South Africa, Africa, and the world to respond to global environmental change, including climate change, in an informed and innovative way.

The four-day event is taking place on the Bloemfontein Campus of the UFS under the theme: ‘Research and innovation accelerating transformations to global sustainability’. It is jointly organised by the Department of Science and Innovation, the National Research Foundation, the South African Global Change Science Committee, and the UFS.  

Topics on the conference agenda include the state of the southern oceans; the role of physics in power grids; climate and health, water resources, and global crises; and agriculture in a changing environment, among other topics.  

For more information on GCC5, kindly click here.

Follow the discussion on UFS social media platforms.

 



News Archive

We are a true University of the Future
2011-11-07

 

Gavin Dollman, researching the power of brainwaves controlling robots.
Photo: Igno van Niekerk

One of the most interesting studies currently being done at the University of the Free State, is Gavin Dollman’s investigation into how our brainwaves can be used to manipulate a robot which can be connected to a computer.

Gavin is doing research for a master’s degree, and his field of study reminds one of futuristic movies like Star Trek and The Matrix. Gavin uses a computer headset which is commercially sold and used to make computer games more interactive. Gavin has written software that assists a user with the headset in manoeuvring Lego robots in different directions. He is now investigating how several factors influence a person’s ability to direct the Lego robots. According to Gavin, the application of this technology might even assist a person in having an extra sense which can be “controlled” by the power of your brainwaves.

It is when one see this kind of work being done at the UFS that we realize once again why we are a University of the Future!
 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept