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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.
OSM students off to Canada and Belgium
2016-07-01
Naledi Dweba will have the opportunity to
take part in tutorials such as reed making
and instrument adjusting when attending
the Belgian Clarinet Academy. Photo: Supplied
Although he is only a first-year student at the Odeion School of Music (OSM), he will learn from, and share his knowledge with, the best in the world. Tuhafeni Michael from the University of the Free State has been selected for an international choral music residency at the Kokopelli Choir Association in Edmonton, Canada during June-July 2016.
Michael and Naledi Dweba are two OSM students that will enhance their skills abroad. Dweba, one of Danré Strydom’s clarinet students, has received a scholarship to attend the 2016 Belgian Clarinet Academy in Ostend, Belgium from 6-12 July.
Guest speaker at celebrations
Apart from receiving extensive training as choral conductor, Michael will also serve as a guest speaker during the Kokopelli Choir Association 20th anniversary. He will teach choral music from his native Namibia.
After the residency, he is expected to serve as an ambassador for the Kokopelli Foundation in Southern Africa. Apart from sharing his skills, he will also assist in recruiting new talented students, and act as mentor to other aspiring choral conductors.
“I’m hoping to really learn from some of the best choral conductors of our times, as well as from fellow students attending the course,” says Michael.
Masterclasses in rest of Europe
Dweba’s scholarship provides a week-long, intensive immersion in clarinet. Individual students receive at least 3 intensive private lessons, and participate in clarinet ensembles, receive chamber music coaching, observe and perform in masterclasses. The main instructors of the event will be Robert Spring (Arizona State University), Eddy Vanoosthuyse (Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra), and Deborah Bish (Florida State University).
After the scholarship, he will attend masterclasses in Germany and the United Kingdom.