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06 November 2023
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Story MBALI MABOEA
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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.”
Kovsies show Madiba their love
2013-07-15
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Showing love to Madiba: Our Kovsie delegation outside the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria
Photo: Jerry Mokoroane |
Staff and students from our Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses travelled to the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria to wish former president Nelson Mandela well and to show their support to his family. Paying their respects to Madiba, who has been in hospital for over a month, the Kovsies held a prayer service outside the hospital and shared stories of the impact the icon had on their lives. The delegation was led by Mr Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs, who told visitors and media at the hospital that the Kovsies travelled to the hospital to thank Madiba and to show that the university is committed to reconciliation after the Reitz incident. "We are here to show our respect and to honour him for what he has given to this country. We are also here to show that we are committed to reconciliation and that we remain committed to change," said Buys.
The delegation also visited Madiba’s old house in Vilakazi Street in Soweto.