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UFS honours alumni at Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner

31 May 2023 | Story Sieraaj Ahmed | Photo Sonia Small

The University of the Free State (UFS) Chancellor, Prof Bonang Mohale, and UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, recently hosted the UFS’s 38 ^th UFS Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards (CDAA) Dinner. The event took place in the Callie Human Centre on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus and honoured 10 outstanding UFS alumni for their achievements in both their personal and professional capacities.

“The UFS’s CDAA Awards are important to help represent those without a voice, thereby releasing better humans who care deeply for each other and are meaningfully connected, incredibly constructive citizens who are catalysts of change – to change us from humankind to kind humans, simply because kindness is the highest form of intelligence. To change us from important people to persons of significance – from taking to giving, as a new form of transformative philanthropy,” Prof Mohale told awardees and other UFS alumni who attended the dinner.

UFS alumni excelling in their various fields

Gerda Steyn, who recently made history by becoming the first woman to win the Two Oceans Marathon four consecutive times, was recognised as the Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award winner. This is the highest honour bestowed upon an alumnus and celebrates someone who serves to inspire fellow alumni, current students, and the community at large. Steyn’s parents, Pieter and Trudie Steyn accepted the award on her behalf. (A full list of awardees can be found at the end of this story).

Prof Petersen applauded all the winners as well as UFS alumni everywhere who excel in their various fields. “Excellence is part of our DNA, and our valued alumni across the globe are the products of this. We believe the impact our alumni are making at every level should be continuously encouraged for the greater good, through recognition and celebration of achievements. This is why the Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony has shed light on the impact of our exceptional alumni for the past 38 years and will continue to do so.”

He urged all alumni to learn more about Vision 130, an elaboration of the UFS’s strategic intent to reposition the institution ahead of 2034, when UFS will commemorate its 130th anniversary. “Vision 130 is centred around the pillars of academic excellence, quality, and impact; creating maximum societal impact with sustainable relationships; and establishing a diverse, inclusive, and equitable university. The alumni honoured this year are an embodiment of our Vision 130, and we congratulate them and look forward to the great achievements that are on the horizon for you and the rest of the UFS community.”



Cum Laude Award winner, Dr Maryam Amra Jordaan, with Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, and Prof Bonang Mohale, UFS Chancellor, at the 38^th Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner.		Kovsie Ambassador Award winner, Uyleta Nel-Marais, with Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, and Prof Bonang Mohale, UFS Chancellor, at the 38^th Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner.

38^th Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards (CDAA) winners – 20 May 2023

Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year

GERDA STEYN

Young Alumnus of the Year

SEBABATSO TSAOANE

Executive Management Award

PROF FRANCOIS STRYDOM

PROF ABDON ATANGANA

Cum Laude Award

DR SOLOMON WERTA

DR MARYAM AMRA JORDAAN

PROF ANDRIES STULTING

Kovsie Ambassador Award

REHAN GREEFF

UYLETA NEL-MARAIS

ELIZABETH MOKGOSI

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News Archive

UFS gets equipment worth R3,9 million to do doping tests for the World Cup

2010-05-18

One of the new state-of-the-art machines to be used for dope testing.
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe

The South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein boasts new state-of-the-art equipment worth R3,9 million with which doping tests for next month’s 2010 FIFA World Cup will be done.

“Our new instruments are some of the best in the world,” said a proud Dr Pieter van der Merwe, Head of the laboratory.

SADoCoL, housed in the Department of Pharmacology at the UFS, has done doping analyses for many international sport events in South Africa and elsewhere in the world, including the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the Sevens Rugby World Cup in Dubai.

“Because of our international recognition and accreditation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) the laboratory was selected to be the official doping control facility of the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” he said.

“FIFA has entered into a contract with us and they will send all the urine and blood samples for the World Cup to this laboratory. I must hasten to say that it is not only for the World Cup. We will continue with the work that we have been doing all these years regarding doping analysis in South Africa.”

“It is an honour for the Department and the UFS to offer a world-class service to a world-class association like FIFA and to be associated with a tournament of this magnitude.”

Being the only one of its kind in South Africa, and one of only two in Africa (the other being in Tunisia), it is not surprising that FIFA has entered into this partnership with SADoCoL.

“It is a well-known fact that we have been, and still are, the official doping control testing facility in South Africa for many years now. So there is also a lot of African involvement in our laboratory where African countries send samples to us for analysis,” he said.

It is not for the first time, though, that SADoCoL is involved with FIFA. The laboratory did all the testing for the Confederations Cup that was held in South Africa in June 2009.

It had just been extended to accommodate the new equipment. An official viewing session of the new facility was held last week.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za
18 May 2010

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