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29 March 2023
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Story Samkelo Fetile
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Photo Simba Matema
From left to right: Prof Jean Bernard Lekana-Douki, Director General at the CIRMF; Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS; and Prof Jean-Fabrice Yala, Scientific and Technical Director at the CIRMF.
The University of the Free State (UFS) recently welcomed senior members from the International Centre for Medical Research in Franceville (CIRMF), Gabon to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two entities.
CIRMF is a non-profit medical research centre that was established in 1974. Its primary focus is on diagnosing infectious diseases that pose immediate problems in Gabon and the Central African sub-region. The centre is dedicated to improving public health through various initiatives, including the training of Gabonese health executives in doctoral and post-doctoral education.
“The signing of the MoU with CIRMF is a step in the right direction as the UFS continues to strengthen its footprint on the African Continent. This is seminal in driving the university’s internationalisation processes and opening an avenue to expanding research networks, especially in the African continent,” said Bonolo Makhalemele, Coordinator of strategic projects at the Office for International Affairs, UFS.
In the interest of developing broader research collaborations, the CIRMF delegation met with some UFS academics in a series of engagements, particularly in the Health Sciences Faculty and the Natural and Agricultural Sciences Faculty. “The integration of knowledge and practices that emanate from the continent provides opportunities for the co-creation of knowledge that can be shared with the rest of the world,” said Kagiso Ngake, Coordinator for Partnerships, Collaborative Degrees, and Outgoing Mobility at the Office for International Affairs, UFS.
A concrete roadmap was established to formalise the collaborations that resulted from these engagements and will commence as soon as April 2023. “We have laid a solid foundation and are on the way to a strong and rich partnership!” exclaimed Prof Jean Bernard Lekana-Douki, Director General at the CIRMF.
Prof Francis Petersen, Rector, and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, further highlighted how the newly established partnership with the CIRMF aligns with the mandate of the UFS Vision 130 of expanding the UFS Africa research network.
All you need to know about UFS December graduations
2017-11-14

Qualifications up to honours degrees in all faculties, as well as the Business School,
Educational qualifications in Open Distance Learning, and master’s and doctoral
degrees will be conferred during the End-of-year Graduation Ceremonies of the
University of the Free State.
Photo: Johan Roux
The End-of-year Graduation Ceremonies at the University of the Free State (UFS) are taking place in December, and the Kovsie community is looking forward to the annual celebrations. To access information about it, visit the dedicated graduation home page.
The Bloemfontein Campus will welcome graduates, their parents, friends, and relatives for the festivities, which promises to be yet another prestigious occasion. The ceremonies are taking place on 6 and 7 December 2017 in the Callie Human Centre.
The degrees to be conferred include all qualifications up to honours degrees in the Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences (including the Business School), Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Education, Law, the Humanities, Theology and Religion, Health Sciences, and Educational qualifications in Open Distance Learning (South Campus). Master’s and doctoral degrees in all faculties will also be conferred.
For information about the ceremonies, visit the graduation home page.