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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.
Americans want to strengthen ties with UFS
2011-04-06
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Representatives from our university and Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Campus (UWM) in America met about possible collaborative agreements during the past week. Here are, from the left: Profs. Hannes Britz, the Provost (Academic); Tien-Chien Jen, UWM Dean of the College of Engineering; and Wade Hobgood, Dean of the Peck School of Art. In front sits Dr Nalize Marais from the Directorate for Institutional Research and Academic Planning.
Photo: Gerda-Marie Viviers |
Academics from the University of Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Campus (UWM) paid a visit to our university on 22 March 2011. The visit was earmarked to investigate possible research and collaborative agreements. Academic areas which were focused on prominently were engineering, water science, and education, specifically with regard to the disciplines of mathematics, science, technology and the arts. UFS lecturers representing the Faculties of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Education and Health Sciences participated in the discussions. According to Dr Nalize Marais from the Directorate for Institutional Research and Academic Planning, possible agreements relate to exchange students, teaching opportunities for academic staff and joint research projects. “Personally, I am going to work with them (UWM) on programme planning and curriculum design for six weeks starting next week.'' She said that other UFS staff would probably also travel to Milwaukee later this year for amongst others research, new programmes and teaching.