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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.
Students recruited for studies in science, engineering and technology
2008-08-06
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Representatives of the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) visited the University of the Free State (UFS) recently to recruit students who want to study in the fields of science, engineering and technology. To assist with the recruitment, the winners of awards made by the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) earlier this year, made presentations to create an interest amongst students. The UFS had four finalists of which two were the winners in their respective categories. Here are, from the left: Dr Martin Ntwaeaborwa, senior lecturer at the Department of Physics and finalist in the category for black researchers, Prof. Kenneth Swart, FARMOVS-PAREXEL, Prof. Maryke Labuschagne, head of Plant Breeding at the UFS's Department of Plant Sciences and female recipient of the award for the development of research capacity over the past five to ten years, and Prof. Jan van der Westhuizen, Department of Chemistry at the UFS; front: Ms Kedibone Aphane, MRC. Prof. Swart and Prof. Van der Westhuizen were the leaders of the team who received the award for the development of innovation by a corporate organisation or institution.
Photo: Lacea Loader
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