Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
06 November 2023
|
Story MBALI MABOEA
|
Photo SUPPLIED
The Department of Geography on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus recently played host to the Society of South African Geographers Conference (SSAG 2023), which gathered more than 100 students over three days.
Fostering academic growth, collaboration, and inspiration among students and researchers in the field of geography, the Department of Geography on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus recently played host to the Society of South African Geographers Conference (SSAG 2023), which gathered more than 100 students over three days.
Following a five-year hiatus, the three-day conference comprised student proposal presentations in different fields: human geography, environment geography, geoinformatics, and physical geography, divided into breakaway sessions over two days. Furthermore, day three of the annual conference included an excursion to the Basotho Cultural Village and Clarens.
The three-day annual student conference focused on different themes presented by two main speakers. The topic of the first keynote speaker, Dr Mahlomola Daemane, General Manager of the SANParks Arid Research Unit, focused on the contemporary conservation, transition, and relevance of science in policy and decision making.
The second keynote speaker was Dr Felicia Akinyemi, a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research Fellow affiliated with the Institute of Geography at the University of Bern in Switzerland. Her work focuses on the intersection of geoinformatics, global change, and sustainability. Dr Akinyemi focused her talk on the integrative geospatial methods and metrics for sustainable land use. She introduced different techniques and metrics and gave students insight in early-career African research.
Speaking about the success of the conference, Nthebohiseng Sekhele, Geography Lecturer on the Qwaqwa Campus and chair of the organising committee, said, “The local organising committee was also very impressed with the quality of presentations from our postgraduate students in Geography, as well as the robust discussions that happened during the parallel sessions in the two days of the conference. We had a positive response of physical and online participation from many universities across South Africa. We are pleased that we have achieved our goal with this conference, which is to inspire the next generation of geographers.”
UFS Faculty of Theology appoints scholar from Yale University
2010-03-11
 |
Prof. Adriaan Neele
Photo: Stephen Collett |
Prof. Adriaan Neel from Yale University in New Haven in the United States of America recently delivered his inaugural lecture as Professor Extraordinary in the Department of Ecclesiology at the University of the Free State (UFS). His inaugural lecture coincided with the official opening of the Jonathan Edwards Center Africa in the Faculty of Theology of the UFS.
The appointment of Prof. Neele as Professor Extraordinary in the Department of Ecclesiology follows the vast growth of the Jonathan Edwards Centre Africa.
Prof. Neele delivered his inaugural address on: A Transitional Moment in Theology where he argued for the classicality and catholicity of Edwards’ theology.
In his lecture Prof. Neele concluded: “In the midst of the challenging and changing times of 1737-42 of New England’s history and theology, Edwards revisited fundamental questions of theological prolegomena. The formulation of his answers demonstrated not only continuity and discontinuity but also a demanding appropriation of intellectual thought, that of the catholicity and classicality of theology. The discourse was drafted and heard in Northampton, published in 1788, and soon afterwards forgotten; yet its message was timeless, ‘Practice according to what knowledge you have. This will be the way to know more’.
“The appointment at this prestige university of Southern Africa is both an honour and humbling. I look forward to a beneficial and academic engagement with students, as well as to serve the academy and the church,” Prof. Neele said.