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UFS PhD student wins Young Minds award at international symposium

10 November 2023 | Story André Damons | Photo SUPPLIED

Muthianzhele Ravuluma receives an award from Prof Sebastian Leuzinger from the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand.

A PhD student from the University of the Free State (UFS) has won the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) Young Minds award for the Best Paper and Best Poster Presentation during the 12th International Workshop on Sap Flow, which was held in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Muthianzhele Ravuluma from the Department of Soil, Crop, and Climate Science who is working on his PhD in Agrometeorology, presented a paper on “Sapflow Dynamics of Young and Mature Pomegranate Trees Under Irrigation” during the four-day symposium that took place between 30 October and 3 November 2023. Agrometeorology is the study of the soil, plant and atmosphere continuum. In simple terms, it is called agricultural meteorology, which is the study of the influence of weather and climate on agriculture.

Encourage do and learn more

“I feel thankful to being given an opportunity like this, and winning the award was a surprise. Still, I am happy and grateful for the support from my promoters and the Pomegranate Water Use Project members. This encourages me to do more and to learn more about new technologies in the field of agriculture,” he says.

Ravuluma travelled to New Zealand with his promotor Dr Phumudzo Tharaga to present his research and to learn from other researchers is the field. His research looks at the water use of pomegranate trees under irrigation in a Mediterranean climate.

A proud Dr Tharaga says he is happy to know that the guidance he has been giving to Ravuluma is fruitful and improving his academic and research capabilities. “I feel proud as a supervisor, which makes my dream come true of ensuring that all postgraduate students can showcase their work on international stages,” says Dr Tharaga.

Hosting next symposium

Together with Prof Rob Skelton from Wits University, they also successfully bid to host in the 13th International Sap Flow Workshop in South Africa – beating China and the US in the process. All three colleagues will collaborate as conveners of the workshop in South Africa during October/November 2026.

“It is an honour to be recognised and entrusted by the international community of scientists who would like to showcase their work in South Africa. As the convener of the conference, I am happy that it will be hosted in our country for the first time since the inception of the Sap Flow Working Group. Scientists and researchers in South Africa will be able to interact with their peers from different parts of the world,” concludes Dr Tharaga.

Dr Phumudzo Tharaga congratulates Muthianzhele Ravuluma on winning the prestigious award.

Dr Phumudzo Tharaga congratulates Muthianzhele Ravuluma on winning the prestigious award.

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First lecture in Law Dean's series presented

2010-10-22

Prof. Johan Henning, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the UFS and Prof. Johan Farrar, a well respected Corporate Law Specialist, at the recent first lecture in the Law Dean’s Prestige Lecture Series.
Photo: Lize du Plessis

Prof. John Farrar, a well respected Corporate Law Specialist of high international repute, delivered the first lecture in the Law Dean’s Prestige Lecture Series at the University of the Free State (UFS). The theme of his paper was Directors’ duties of care – Issues of classification, solvency and business judgement and the dangers of legal transplants.

The topic is of the utmost importance to South African lawyers in view of the very contentious provisions of the new Companies Act 71 of 2008 endeavouring to introduce the business judgement rule into South African Company Law if and thus reforming company directors’ common law duties of care and skill, if when this legislation at long last becomes operative.

Prof. Farrar is a professor of Corporate Governance at the University of Auckland Business School, and joint director of the New Zealand Governance Centre. These are part-time roles and the remainder of his time is spent as emeritus professor of Law at Bond University, Queensland.

Prof. Farrar has extensive experience in Commercial Law Reform, having, for example, acted as a consultant to the New Zealand Treasury, the Law Commission, the Business Council of Australia and the UK Department of Trade and Industry.

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