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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.
Tennis: Kovsies beat Campsbay in Club Championships
2008-03-04
The tournament took place in East Londen the same time as the South African open championships for men. The Kovsie men and ladies team represented Free State in the club championships. The tournament consisted of a men and ladies sections and involved 45 teams (135 players) from all tennis provinces in the country.
After the first three days the round robin phases were completed and it was time for the semi finals, finals and play off. The men’s team played great tennis and finished fifth in the tournament. An excellent achievement if one takes into consideration that the tournament included players like Ruan Roeloefse (who played in the SA open) and Pietie Norval who represented South Africa on the tennis court a couple of years ago.
The ladies played brilliant tennis and had to play the finals against Campsbay who was the defending champions. The Kovsie team consisted of Karin Coetzee, Michelle van Staden and Elrien de Villiers. After the two singles ties the Kovsies already won the championships and the doubles game wasn’t played. If one takes into consideration that the ladies team also won SASSU in December, they are for sure worthy champions at this stage.