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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 teams up with Kagiso Trust
2010-08-11
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Prof. Jonathan Jansen (Rector and Vice-chancellor of the UFS) and Mr Khotso Schoeman (Chief Executive Officer of the Kagiso Trust).
Photo: Gerhard Louw
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The University of the Free State (UFS) has signed an agreement with Kagiso Trust to host a series of memorial lectures and discussions commemorating the life of clerical activist Beyers Naudé. Naudé strove against his pro-Nationalist Party upbringing to help the anti-apartheid struggle. He was pivotal in starting dialogue, in South Africa and abroad, concerning apartheid. It is because of his willingness to discuss issues in open dialogue that Kagiso Trust decided to honour him.
These lectures aim to involve students and staff from all the UFS campuses, as well as the Free State community in general, to talk critically about societal issues and challenges, while celebrating the life of Beyers Naudé.
The lectures will continue at the UFS for three years and a different theme related to the main idea will be chosen each year. Each theme will have subthemes guiding discussions among students and staff on the three campuses of the UFS. The theme for this year’s lecture is “Crafting a legacy”.
The launch of the memorial lecture series at the UFS will be on the Main Campus on Monday, 13 September 2010. In 2011 the activities will move to the Qwaqwa Campus of the university.
Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za
11 August 2010