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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.
UFS appoints a Director for Internasionalisation
2009-03-17
 Prof. Aldo Stroebel has been promoted to Director Internationalisation of the University of the Free State (UFS) effective 1 April 2009. This confirms the UFS's commitment to excellence in research and student support, and investing in international competitiveness. As a result, Internationalisation will report to the Vice Rector: Academic Operations.
He is recognised as a leader in the internationalisation of higher education, inter alia through appointments such as Vice-President of the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA), Executive Committee member of the International Educators’ Association of South Africa (IEASA), member of the Board of the South Africa Netherlands Partnership Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) and Conference President of the International Organisation of Research Management Societies (INORMS 2010).
Prof. Stroebel is an internationally renowned agriculture and rural development specialist, focusing on Africa. He obtained his Masters degree from Ghent University, Belgium, and a Ph.D. from the UFS in collaboration with Cornell University, USA. During 2005, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands. He is the author/co-author of more than 80 articles, book chapters and reports.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
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