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UFS academics make a mark at the All Together Better Health Conference in Qatar

17 November 2023 | Story Reuben Maeko | Photo SUPPLIED

Prof Nyoni, Dr Omar Mohamed Al-Ansari and Dr James Campbell — Prof Nyoni hands over the Winterthur Doha Interprofessional Declaration to the President of Qatar University Dr Omar Mohamed Al-Ansari and the WHO Director for Health Workforce Dr James Campbell at the All Together Better Health Conference in Doha, Qatar.

A delegation of five academics from the University of the Free State (UFS) made significant contributions at the recently concluded All Together Better Health Conference (ATBH) in Doha, Qatar. Led by Prof Champion Nyoni, Senior Researcher in the UFS School of Nursing and current Chairperson of Interprofessional.Global, the team showcased their research to an international audience, further solidifying UFS’s commitment to advancing interprofessional education and collaborative practices.

Engagement at the Conference

The esteemed UFS academics, including Dr Lizemari Hugo-van Dyk (School of Nursing), Dr Anke van der Merwe (School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences), Dr Riaan van Wyk (Clinical Skills and Simulation Unit), and Dr Benjamin Botha (Computer Science and Informatics), actively participated in the conference, presenting their research findings to over 600 delegates from around the world. The ATBH Conference brought together students, educators, researchers, and policymakers with a shared goal of advancing interprofessional education and collaborative practices.

UFS’s leading role in Interprofessional Education

Interprofessional education (IPE), the focal point of the conference, involves collaborative learning among students from multiple health and social care professions. The UFS has been a trailblazer in the IPE domain, boasting a robust IPE programme that has been running successfully for nearly a decade.

Leadership excellence by Prof Nyoni

Prof Nyoni, as the Chair of Interprofessional. Global, played a pivotal role in the conference, showcasing leadership and communication excellence on a global scale. Interprofessional. Global is a confederation of regional networks worldwide purposed to embed IPE as part of mainstream training for the health workforce globally. His welcome address during the grand opening ceremony, attended by esteemed dignitaries including Her Highness Sheika Moza bint Nasser, the President of Qatar University, and the Director for Health Workforce at the World Health Organization (WHO), marked a momentous occasion. Moreover, Prof Nyoni presented the Winterthur-Doha Interprofessional Declaration to Qatar University and the WHO, symbolically endorsing IPE as a strategy to enhance global health outcomes.

The Winter-Doha Interprofessional Declaration

Explaining the significance of the Winter-Doha Interprofessional Declaration, Prof Nyoni expressed his excitement, stating, “I am thrilled that the World Health Organisation was forthcoming to receive this declaration – symbolically endorsing IPE as a strategy to enhance our health outcomes.” He added that this declaration would influence global efforts towards true IPE integration, with global representatives within the IPE community contributing to this milestone.

Research presentations by UFS Academics

The UFS academics delivered impactful presentations at the conference. Drs Hugo-van Dyk and Botha, along with Prof Nyoni, discussed “An Online Programme for Clinical Facilitators in Health Professions Education: A missed opportunity for IPE.” Additionally, they presented on desktop-based virtual reality to enhance role clarification in interprofessional education. Drs Van der Merwe and Van Wyk, along with Prof Nyoni, presented “Educator needs regarding a simulation debriefing programme: A missed opportunity for interprofessional practice at a South African University.”

Global collaboration and appreciation

Dr Botha, a member of the African Interprofessional Education Network (AfrlPEN), expressed appreciation for the opportunity, stating, “We have made good milestones globally and we are committed to continue to impact and influence the global space.” Dr van der Merwe echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the chance to connect with like-minded professionals worldwide and expressing gratitude to the UFS for facilitating this opportunity.

Closing thoughts

The UFS delegation’s active participation at the ATBH Conference not only underscores the university's commitment to advancing interprofessional education but also reinforces its global leadership in this critical domain. The contributions made at this prestigious event exemplify the UFS’s dedication to collaborative practices that enhance healthcare outcomes on a global scale.

Dr Lizemari Hugo-van Dyk, Dr Anke van der Merwe, Dr Bennie Botha, Prof Champion Nyoni, Dr Riaan van Wyk- The UFS team at the All Together Better Health Conference in Doha, Qatar

Closing panel of the ATBH conference 2023

Her Highness Sheika Moza bint Nasser at the 11th ATBH conference

Dr Champion Nyoni delivers the keynote address.

News Archive

UFS welcomes Constitutional Court’s ruling on its Language Policy

2017-12-29

The executive management of the University of the Free State (UFS) welcomes today’s judgement by the Constitutional Court in favour of the university’s Language Policy. The judgement follows an appeal lodged by AfriForum against the judgement and order delivered by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on the implementation of the UFS Language Policy on 28 March 2017.

In a majority ruling, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng denied AfriForum’s application for leave to appeal the SCA’s ruling, and said the UFS Council’s approval of the Language Policy was lawful and constitutionally valid. The court found that the adoption of the Language Policy was neither inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, nor did it violate the Constitutional rights of any students and/or staff members of the UFS.

Today’s landmark judgement is not only paving the way for the UFS to continue with the implementation plan for its Language Policy as approved by the UFS Council on 11 March 2016, but it is also an indication of the value which the university’s decision to change its Language Policy to English as primary medium of instruction has on higher education in South Africa.

“The judgement by the Constitutional Court is not a victory against Afrikaans as language. The UFS will continue to develop Afrikaans as an academic language. A key feature of the UFS Language Policy is flexibility and the commitment to strive for a truly multilingual environment. Today’s judgement allows the UFS to proceed with the implementation of its progressive approach to a language-rich environment that is committed to multilingualism,” says Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

According to Prof Petersen, the UFS is dedicated to the commitments in the Language Policy and, in particular, to make sure that language development is made available to students in order to ensure their success as well as greater levels of academic literacy – especially in English. This includes contributing to the development of Sesotho and isiZulu as higher-education languages within the context of the needs of the different UFS campuses.

“We can now continue to ensure that language is not used or perceived as a tool for the social exclusion of staff and/or students on any of the three campuses, and continue to promote a pragmatic learning and administrative environment committed to and accommodative to linguistic diversity within the regional, national, and international environments in which the UFS operates,” says Prof Petersen.

The UFS is the first university in South Africa appearing before the Constitutional Court regarding its Language Policy.

During 2017, the Faculties of Health Sciences, the Humanities, and Law started with the implementation of the new Language Policy at first-year level. This includes the presentation of tutorials in Afrikaans. The remaining faculties will start implementing the policy as from 2018.

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

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