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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

Student performers dazzle at Kovsie Extravaganza
2014-10-01

The Kovsie Extravaganza is an annual highlight on our university’s Arts and Culture calendar. The event offers outstanding Kovsie artists the opportunity to showcase their talent in music, dance and poetry – to name but a few – live on stage. The Sand d u Plessis theatre in Bloemfontein was packed to capacity for this highly-anticipated performance on 27 September 2014.

With the multi-award winning a cappella trio, The Soil, and Kovsie Idol Delia Moumakwe included in the line-up, tickets were already sold out nine hours before the show.

But the Kovsie acts by no means paled in comparison to these stars. In addition, the Free State Youth Orchestra – which includes some of the most talented students at our Odeion School of Music – provided an inspired performance.

This full production had the crowd dancing, cheering and clapping throughout the ecvent. The size and reaction of the audience was firm proof of the Kovsie Extravaganza’s growing popularity.

Speaking to Ntsika Ngxanga, a member of The Soil, he said that they were truly blessed to have made it this far in the music industry. Growing up in Soweto in difficult circumstances, the trio is now performing on stages across the globe. “We thank the UFS for their support towards the extravaganza. We definitely wish the student community all the best with their studies. Education is important,” Ngxanga said.

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