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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

Beauty from UFS a national Miss Earth finalist
2016-08-19

Description: Elnè van Coller Tags: Elnè van Coller

Elnè van Coller, final-year
Occupational Therapy student at
the University of the Free State
was selected as a national
finalist in Miss Earth South Africa
(SA) leadership programme on
1 August 2016.
Photo: Miss Earth SA

“Greening my community and touching lives is my purpose in life. We were put on this beautiful Earth to serve others and make a difference in the world.”

This is what Elnè van Coller, final-year Occupational Therapy student at the University of the Free State, had to say after being selected as a national finalist in Miss Earth South Africa (SA) leadership programme.

She has set out to be the change. Not only does she want to see change in her own community but in the rest of the world. The reason she entered the Miss Earth SA programme is to inspire others.

Leadership programme to inspire others

The Miss Earth SA is a leadership programme which aims at empowering young South African women with the knowledge and platform to create a sustainable difference. It helps create awareness of sustainable development, the environment, wildlife, and the conservation of the natural legacy.

 “Miss Earth SA is an amazing platform for me to develop leadership skills, raise awareness, and be actively involved in environmental affairs as well as serving the community,” said Elnè.

Getting the community involved is important

The theme for this year’s Miss Earth SA programme is Waste Stops With ME, so clean-ups are a major part of the programme. Elnè started a Facebook page, Team Up-To-Clean-Up Bloemfontein. “This page is to share environmental facts, inform the people of Bloemfontein about the clean-ups, as well as get them involved”.

The Miss Earth SA gala week will take place in Johannesburg from 5 – 9 September 2016 when the Miss Earth SA 2016 will be announced.

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