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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 council awards honorary doctorates
2007-03-22
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The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) has decided to confer honorary doctorates on architect Prof. Barend Johannes Britz and author Mr Khotso Pieter David Maphalla.
Prof. Bannie Britz is being honoured for his contribution to architecture and Mr Maphalla for his contribution to the development of the Sesotho language and culture.
Prof. Britz worked as an architectural assistant abroad as well as in South Africa between 1961 and 1964, before establishing his own practice in 1968. He obtained a master’s degree in Urban Design in 1991 and was awarded the Prize of the City of Johannesburg for the best urban design dissertation.
He was appointed as Professor and Head of the Department of Architecture at the UFS in 1992. Prof. Britz is a member of several professional associations and has received 17 merit awards as well as a gold medal of excellence from the Institute of SA Architects.
Mr Maphalla is a prolific Sesotho author and has contributed significantly to the development of the Sesotho language and culture through his poetry, novels, dramas and short stories.
Most of his books have been prescribed for secondary schools throughout the country. His collected works are still used as reference works for literary studies by African Languages Departments at most South African universities.
Mr Maphalla played a significant role in the establishment of the South African National Sesotho Authors’ Association and has been the recipient of numerous awards for his sterling work. These include the M-net Book Prize in 1996 and a Lifetime Achiever Award in 2005 from the National Department of Arts and Culture, the first and only Sesotho author to have received this award thus far.
Media release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@mail.ufs.ac.za
19 March 2007
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Prof. Bannie Britz
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Mr. Khotso Pieter David Maphalla
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