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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.
Academic appointed Editor-in-Chief of leading accredited History journal in South Africa
2017-02-15
Dr Jared McDonald, newly-appointed Editor-in-Chief
of Historia.
Photo: Thabo Kessah
The research profile of the Qwaqwa Campus has recently received a boost with the appointment of Dr Jared McDonald as the Editor-in-Chief of Historia, one of the leading accredited History journals in South Africa. It publishes articles in May and November on aspects of history and historiography of the Southern African region and is published by the Historical Association of South Africa (HASA).
Dr McDonald said it was an honour for him to be appointed in such a position, as it would enable him to further encourage critical engagement of historians. “I have served as the journal’s Review Editor for the past four years, so I am incredibly grateful for this appointment which will further enable historians to engage with one another as well as with scholars from other disciplines interested in grappling with the past,” he said.
Delivery of quality research to be strengthened
“My role will be to deepen the legacy of presenting historical themes to the broader public and the academic community, as well as enabling the delivery of quality research, while also strengthening Historia’s profile as a journal of choice for historians and scholars from related disciplines. In fact, having the editorship of such a journal based on the Qwaqwa Campus, is a welcome accolade for the campus,” he added.
Dr McDonald is Subject Head in the Department of History.