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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.
Centre again boasts with the most international students
2008-02-19
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The Master's Degree in the Development Studies Programme, presented by the Centre for Development Support at the University of the Free State (UFS) this year again boasts with the most international students registered for a masters programme at the UFS. The programme is designed for people currently working in a development-related context, or who intend to do so. This year 152 applications were received, from which only 66 were accepted. Of those, almost 73% are from African countries. Last year 64 students were registered for the course. The programme's first contact session took place recently and was attended by, from the left: Ms Dorie Olivier (Programme Co-ordinator of the UFS Centre for Development Support), Prof. Tienie Crous (Dean of the UFS Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences), Ms Lindiwe Dladla (student from Swaziland), and Prof. Lucius Botes (Programme Director: Centre for Development Support). Ms Dladla received a Graça Machel Scholarship of almost R32 000 which was awarded to her by the Canon Collins Trust.
Photo: Supplied
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