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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 establishes the first chair in Biblical Spirituality in the world
2007-09-17
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Prof. Pieter de Villiers recently delivered his inaugural lecture as extraordinary professor in Biblical Spirituality at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Theology. He is the first person in the world to occupy a chair of this nature. As extraordinary professor he is associated to the Faculty of Theology’s Departments of Old and New Testaments. The interest in spirituality is growing world-wide and research into this field is increasing. As a result of this, Prof. Francois Tolmie, head of the Department of New Testament at the UFS, took the initiative of establishing a chair in Biblical Spirituality at the Faculty of Theology. This places the faculty at the forefront of this important field of study. During the inaugural lecture were, from the left: Prof. Fanie Snyman (Head of the UFS Department of Old Testament), Prof. Hermie van Zyl (Dean of the UFS Faculty of Theology), Prof. Teuns Verschoor (Vice-Rector: Academic Operations at the UFS), Prof. De Villiers and Prof. Tolmie.
Photo: Stephen Collett
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