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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.
Student from Malawi obtained his doctorate in Plant Breeding
2006-04-30
The University of the Free State (UFS) awarded 35 doctorate degrees during its recent graduation ceremony. Among the guests attending the doctorandi's congratulatory dinner were in front from the left Dr Liezel Herselman (senior lecturer at the Division Plant Breeding of the UFS Department of Plant Sciences), Dr Ibrahim Benesi (a student from Malawi, who obtained his doctorate in Plant Breeding), Dr Everina Lukonge (a student from Tanzania, who obtained her doctorate in Plant Breeding) and Prof Maryke Labuschagne (head of the Division Plant Breeding of the UFS Department of Plant Sciences). Dr Herselman is the co-promotor and Prof Labuschagne is the promotor of the two students.