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29 March 2023 | Story Samkelo Fetile | Photo Simba Matema
MoU Latest News
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.

News Archive

Dreams come true
2014-06-11


Lizelke Klindt – part of the Kovsie family

 

“To be a Kovsie is awesome.” This is how Lizelke Klindt starts the conversation.

Who is Lizelke?

She is one of our top emerging academics. Expanding on her BSc in Astrophysics, she obtained an honours degree in Physics this year – cum laude – earning her the Dean’s and Senate Medal.

At this year’s Kovsie Open Day on the Bloemfontein Campus, Lizelke beamed across the stage at prospective students and their parents – embodying true Kovsie pride.  

Her academic journey has just begun, though. Lizelke is currently doing her MSc in Astrophysics. Her thesis focuses on the ‘Multi-wavelength Analysis of Unidentified Active Galactic Nuclei in the Fermi 2LAC Catalogue’.

“This will allow me to travel around to collect my own data and will broaden my skill set in order to reduce the various data,” she says.

Her achievements have gone hand in hand with hard work and grapping every opportunity the university has to offer, she admits. She also has a lot of praise for our university for offering research opportunities to graduates in their respective fields.  

“My studies have allowed me to travel a lot and to meet people from all over the world. I have made friends in Germany, Poland, Australia and other European countries.

“And the best part of it all is I get to fly a lot. I absolute love it. And if there was such a thing as a second life, I would definitely be a pilot or hopefully an astronaut. It’s a good feeling to be part of the Kovsie family.”

Lizelke plans to continue onto her PhD in the coming years. And then? She fervently wishes to get a post-doctoral position at the very same university that opened a world to her that she loves passionately. A world she has dreamt of since childhood.

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