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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.
Prof Basie Verster received the Distinguished International Fellow award
2006-05-24
Prof Basie Verster, Departmental Chairperson of the University of the Free State's (UFS) Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management, received the Distinguished International Fellow award from the International Cost Engineering Council (ICEC) during the world congress held in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Prof Verster was chairperson of the ICEC for the past two years. Five members of the UFS Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management, including Prof Verster, delivered papers at the world congress.
From the left are Dr Corné de Leeuw (President of the African Association of Quantity Surveying who received the Directors Award of Appreciation for his contributions to Africa) and Prof Verster.