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03 January 2023
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Photo Evert Kleynhans
Dr Dolf van Niekerk.
The University of the Free State (UFS) would like to express its condolences to the family and friends of South African author, Dr Dolf van Niekerk, on his passing.
Dr Van Niekerk, the recipient of an
honorary doctorate from the UFS, passed away on 31 December 2022. The UFS awarded a Doctor of Letters to Dr Dolf van Niekerk during its April 2021 graduation ceremony.
Dr Van Niekerk was a celebrated author who also achieved fame as a dramatist and radio presenter. An alumnus of the UFS, he received a BA degree from the university cum laude in 1949. He also played a role in academia and was an emeritus professor at the University of Pretoria until his retirement in 1994. His work includes 27 books in philosophy, poetry, fiction, drama, and memoirs, for which he has received numerous awards. These include the
Eugene Marais Prize, the MER Prize, and the Scheepers Award for Youth Literature.
“Dr van Niekerk is a Kovsie alumnus with a deep connection to the Free State. He played a significant role in the country’s literary history, and it was an honour for the university to award him with an honorary degree. A wordsmith of note, Dr van Niekerk’s contributions to South African literature, radio, and stage will live on," says
Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor.
Vietnamese delegation visits UFS
2008-12-04
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| A delegation from the Department of Science and Technology in Vietnam recently visited the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State (UFS) to learn from South African experiences in preservation and exploitation of genetic resources and to establish contacts for collaboration. Pictured are, from the left: Dr Dang Tung, Head: Department of Science and Technology, Vietnam, Prof. Martie Smit, UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, Dr Vo Van Long, Head: Department of Scientific Planning and International Collaboration, Vietnam, Dr Vu Nguyen Thanh, Deputy Head: Department of Microbiology, Vietnam, Prof. Niel Heideman, Vice-Dean: UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Mr Arthur Johnson, Co-ordinator: UFS International Research Funding, and Dr Nguyen Quang Thao, Senior Specialist: Department of Science and Technology, Vietnam. Dr Thanh was a post-doctoral fellow in the group of Prof. Smit from 1994 to 1996. |