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SA Sweden grant expands the classroom for students in public health education

11 July 2023 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Sonia Small, Kaleidoscope

Prof Corinna Walsh, Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of the Free State (UFS), and her collaborators have been awarded the South Africa – Sweden University Forum (SASUF) Virtual Exchange Grant, which commenced at the beginning of 2023.

Prof Walsh is also the first academic at the UFS to receive this grant, which will allow her to embark on a virtual exchange programme in nutrition and public health education.

SASUF, a project to strengthen collaboration in research and education between South Africa and Sweden, was launched in 2017, and to date has connected more than 3 000 Swedish and South African researchers and students in workshops and seminars.

According to Chevon Slambee, the local coordinator for SASUF in the UFS Office for International Affairs, the SASUF initiative is one of the tools to expand the physical classroom into an interconnected virtual classroom. This strongly aligns with the aims to internationalise the curriculum, which has been mandatory for institutions of higher education since 2020, according to the National Policy Framework for the Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa.

SASUF virtual exchange grant

This grant was awarded to Prof Walsh and her collaborators five years after she started her SASUF journey when she crossed paths with Prof Ilona Grünberger, Professor in Public Health Sciences at Stockholm University, Sweden, and Prof Anneli Ivarsson, Professor and Consultant in Paediatrics in the Department of Epidemiology and Global Health at Umeå University, Sweden.

Profs Grünberger and Walsh discovered shared research and teaching interests and decided to apply for a SASUF collaborative research grant, which they received in late 2019. They participated in several SASUF workshops and collaborated on a teaching project, where Prof Walsh delivered guest lectures and interacted with students during seminars and online discussions in the master’s programme in Public Health at Stockholm University. One of her lectures focused on improving nutrition and health outcomes in the first 1 000 days of life.

Last year (2022), Prof Walsh presented at a SASUF Goes Digital workshop while visiting Sweden, discussing a life course approach to children's health, development, and well-being. Besides networking and exploring potential research collaborations, she also used this opportunity to attend presentations and discussions on women's health, adolescent mental health, and healthy ageing at Stockholm University and the Karolinska Institute.

In the same year (2022), she submitted a joint application for SASUF Virtual Exchange during the new round of SASUF grants. Her submission, titled Public health nutrition in the context of global public health: Capacity development for health education and public health through virtual exchange between Sweden and South Africa, was one of 13 projects successfully selected from the 50 applications received.

According to Prof Walsh, maternal and child health are an important research focus in both South Africa and Sweden. “Shared studies present the opportunity to build capacity to provide evidence for understanding the developmental origins of health and disease in these very different contexts,” she says.

Prof Walsh explains that they have expanded their group for this virtual exchange collaboration to include Dr Zakir Hossin, a postdoctoral researcher from the Division of Clinical Epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute, Prof Zandile Mchiza from the SA Medical Research Council (MRC) and School of Public Health at the University of the Western Cape, and Dr Whadi-ah Parker from the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

The group’s first activity was hosting a workshop titled, Life course epidemiology: Methodological issues in life course research for global public health during the in-person SASUF Sustainability Forum at the University of the Western Cape in March.

She says the funding, networking, and collaboration benefits of the SASUF programme are what motivated their group to apply for the grant this time around.

“Through this programme, we can also further develop meaningful, virtual intercultural interactions between students, teachers, researchers and other stakeholders, including the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC),” she states, indicating that the project will see undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, participate in the virtual exchange activities.

“Teaching and learning activities will facilitate students’ involvement in cross-cultural teamwork, understanding and problem-solving, sharing of experiences and co-creation of knowledge,” says Prof Walsh, who is of the opinion that virtual exchange programmes provide students with an exciting platform to expand their worldview.

This process will also involve the exchange and co-creation of teaching materials by Swedish and South African teams; online interactions of student groups during online and hybrid courses in public health and nutrition; co-supervision of dissertations at an advanced level and mentoring of doctoral students by senior researchers and postdoctoral fellows from collaborating countries; as well as the active involvement of doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in international collaborative teaching activities.

Future expectations

“Developing our students in the areas of public health, global public health and public health ethics, and public health nutrition, has the potential to benefit both the students and the communities in which they work,” says Prof Walsh.

Furthermore, the SASUF Virtual Exchange Programme also addresses all the key principles as outlined in the UFS’ Vision 130, namely excellence, impact and innovation in putting the needs of others first, delivering significant work, and constantly changing to remain relevant in the highly competitive international higher education market.

News Archive

Inauguration of Prof Francis Petersen as 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS

2017-05-23

Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor of the UFS, robes Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.
Photo: Charl Devenish

“At the UFS, we want to produce graduates for the world, and we need to ensure that we use our knowledge to uplift society”
— Prof Francis Petersen, 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS)

On Friday 19 May 2017, the University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated the inauguration of its 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof Francis Petersen. The formal inauguration was held in the Odeion Theatre on the Bloemfontein Campus. The ceremony was preceded by a week-long welcoming programme on the three UFS campuses.

The guest list included representatives from local and provincial government, vice-chancellors and rectors from across South Africa, and senior members of the university’s executive management.

During the inaugural address, Prof Petersen paid tribute to his predecessors for the role they played in making the university what it is today. This included former rectors and vice-chancellors who attended the ceremony, such as Prof Francois Retief and Prof Frederick Fourie, and Prof Stef Coetzee and Prof Jonathan Jansen who were unable to attend.

Prof Petersen characterised 2015 and 2016 as watershed years for the South African higher-education system. “The Rhodes Must Fall, and subsequent Fees Must Fall student and staff protests challenged us, and re-energised a critical engagement around the purpose of the university in an equal society, both as a site of complicity and as a potential agent for social change,” said Prof Petersen.

He committed himself to developing the UFS into an institution that will have an even greater impact than before.

“This institution I am striving to establish will be one that responds positively to inclusivity, diversity, and transformation, and which can incorporate these values into our curriculum, scholarship, and research in a productive way,” said Prof Petersen.

Prof Petersen emphasised the importance of the three-campus model. “The University of the Free State is ONE university with three campuses: the Bloemfontein Campus, our South Campus, and the Qwaqwa Campus. I am committed to align the activities of the three campuses, and to integrate our activities to a greater extent.

“We must work together to infuse each campus with the values we have identified as essential if we are to make our mark as a united University of the Free State: academic excellence, diversity and inclusivity, and innovation.”

The Chancellor, Dr Khotso Mokhele, had the honour of handing over the gown to Prof Petersen. Prof Lis Lange, Vice-Rector: Academic, explained the relationship between the university and the Basotho people, and how this relationship is honoured through the official procession gowns of the UFS. The Basotho blanket is worn by kings, and the university therefore hopes that the symbolism of the gown would be a source of inspiration to Prof Petersen.

The event was concluded by congratulatory messages from former colleagues and the President of the Student Representative Council on the Bloemfontein Campus, SK Luwaca. The event was elegant and graceful – the inaugural address was thought-provoking and inspiring.

Official Inauguration Ceremony:

19 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

Description: Official Inauguration photo small Tags: Official Inauguration photo small

"I challenge you to dream big and do big." - Prof Petersen

Photo Caption: Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor of the UFS, robes Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.
Photo: Johan Roux

Short biography of Prof Francis Petersen
Inaugural address: 19 May 2017
Transcription of the ceremony
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Video

Welcoming Ceremonies:

The week of 11-19 May 2017 was one of the highlights in this year’s calendar for staff and students of the University of the Free State (UFS), with various ceremonies taking place to welcome Prof Francis Petersen – who assumed his duties on 1 April 2017 – as the 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector. The festivities culminated in the official inauguration ceremony at the Bloemfontein Campus on 19 May 2017.

The Qwaqwa Campus welcoming ceremony took place on Thursday 11 May 2017, attracting a wide spectrum of community leaders from the area. Prof Petersen was welcomed by representatives from the two trade unions, National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and UVPERSU, as well as representatives from the Student Representative Council (SRC), the Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District, and the House of Traditional Leaders. Paramount Queen Mopeli of the Bakoena Royal House bestowed a special honour upon Prof Petersen by clothing him in a traditional Basotho blanket and hat. She said, "From our heart of hearts, welcome, Prof Francis ..., and all Godspeed during your tenure."

The South Campus in Bloemfontein hosted a welcoming ceremony for the new Vice-Chancellor and Rector on 18 May 2017. The ceremony included a number of vocal performances and messages from various stakeholder groups. The same afternoon, the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ) also facilitated a panel discussion, titled Diversity, inclusivity, and social justice and the renewed call for decolonisation, in the Albert Wessels Auditorium (AWO) on the Bloemfontein Campus.

The welcoming ceremonies culminated in an event in the Callie Human Centre on Friday 19 May 2017 at the Bloemfontein Campus, with a number of performances by musicians associated with the UFS, marimbas, drum majorettes from Jim Fouche Secondary School, the Grey College Gumboots, and school choirs from Eunice Secondary School, Brebner Primary School, and Willem Postma Primary School. Representatives from key stakeholders such as Nehawu, UVPERSU, the Campus Ministries Forum, SRC, Alumni, Convocation, and the UFS Council had the opportunity to convey their messages of welcome to Prof Petersen.

The formal inauguration ceremony took place in the Odeion Theatre on the Bloemfontein Campus the same day.

Qwaqwa Campus ceremony:

11 May 2017
Qwaqwa Campus

"Qwaqwa Campus is the perfect laboratory for sustainable sciences.” – Prof Petersen

Photo caption: Paramount Queen Mopeli of the Bakoena Royal House with Prof Petersen and his wife, Cheslyn.
Photo: Mamosa Makaya

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Video

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Transcription of the ceremony

South Campus ceremony:

18 May 2017
South Campus

"South Campus: you aspire excellence, adding to diversity and you are innovative in what you do." - Prof Petersen

Photo caption: Flag bearers and drummers walking to the Madiba Arena.
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

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Transcription of the ceremony

Bloemfontein Campus panel discussion:

Panel discussion: Diversity, inclusivity and social justice and the renewed call for decolonisation
18 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

Description: Panel discussion 18 May 2017 Tags: Panel discussion 18 May 2017

"The UFS should be a place of belonging for everyone." - Prof Petersen

Photo caption: from left: SK Luwaca (SRC President, Bloemfontein Campus), Prof Elelwani Ramugondo (UCT), Prof Francis Petersen (UFS), Prof Melissa Steyn (WITS), Prof Andre Keet (UFS)
Photo: Lelanie de Wet

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Transcription of panel discussion

Bloemfontein Campus ceremony:
19 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

Description: Bloem welcoming ceremony on 19 May 2017 Tags: Bloem welcoming ceremony on 19 May 2017

"I can just say, Wow! I've experienced a lot during the welcoming functions on all three campuses." - Prof Petersen

Photo caption: Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

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