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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.
CHSR&D turns 10
2003-10-07
The Centre for Health Systems Research & Development (CHSR&D) was established at the University of the Free State (UFS) in 1993. The Centre came about due to recognition of a longstanding tradition of research and training in medical sociology/sociology of health and health care in the Department of Sociology. The Centre was founded specifically to meet the dire need for social scientific and operational research and related skills in the field of health and health care.
Since then the Centre has shown unremitting growth and expansion in terms of staffing, projects, the scope and diversity of its research and development activities, and its financial standing. The establishment and development of the Centre has indeed been marked by progressive entrepreneurship within the academic environment. Today the Centre has an established reputation and a continuously expanding market and clientele for its services and products. After ten years of successful operation, the CHSR&D can lay claim to commendable experience and expertise in a number of study fields and methodological approaches.