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Student Geography conference inspires next generation of geographers

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.”

News Archive

The influence of load shedding on the evening timetable

2008-01-31

The load shedding that is being applied at present also has a certain influence on especially the evening module and venue timetable. As part of the contingency planning of the UFS, an alternative module and venue timetable has been compiled so that classes that cannot take place during evenings in the week as a result of load shedding can be accommodated on Fridays and Saturdays.

After consultation with students, lecturers will decide whether the alternative timetable will apply when load shedding does indeed occur or whether the alternative timetable will be a permanent arrangement.

The alternative evening module and venue timetable are as follows:

Classes that are presented in the timeslot 18:10 to 21:00 on Thursdays are alternatively accommodated in the same venues at the same times on a Friday. Double or more periods that commence at 17:00, but continue into the period of load shedding are also included in this alternative arrangement.

It is important to note that lecturers who present double periods that start at 14:10 and continue into the period of load shedding must make ad hoc arrangements should they wish to have their periods also included in the alternative timetable.

Classes that take place in the timeslot 20:10 to 22:00 on Wednesdays are alternatively accommodated in the timeslot 08:10 to 12:00 on Saturdays, in a few cases in different venues from those scheduled initially. Double or more periods that start at 18:10, but continue into the period of load shedding are also included in this alternative arrangement.

The venue changes for Wednesday periods that are accommodated on Saturdays are as follows:

BLG114 Practical 1 English (A) in the Biology Building 28 from 08:10 to 11:00
STK114 Practical 1 Afrikaans (D) in West Block 201 from 09:10 to 11:00
STK114 Practical 1 English (D) in West Block 202 from 09:10 to 11:00
ALM108 Lecture 1 English (G) in FGG169 from 09:10 to 11:00
EKN314 Lecture 2 English (A) in the Rindl Hall from 09:10 to 11:00
EFA112 Lecture 2 Afrikaans (A) in FGG377 from 10:10 to 11:00
EFK112 Lecture 2 Afrikaans (A) in FGG183 from 10:10 to 11:00
DLS112 Lecture 2 English (A) in FGG184 from 10:10 to 11:00
ALC108 Lecture 2 English (E) in the South Block 1 from 10:10 to 11:00
DLS112 Lecture 2 Afrikaans (A) in the FGG377 from 11:10 to 12:00
EFA112 Lecture 2 English (A) in FGG183 from 11:10 to 12:00
EFK112 Lecture 2 English (A) in FGG184 from 11:10 to 12:00
ELF112 Lecture 2 English (A) in FGG169 from 11:10 to 12:00
EKN214 Lecture 3 English (A) in Stabilis 4 from 11:10 to 12:00

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