Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

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.

News Archive

Spring graduation ceremony

2006-09-15

A three-year old boy from Welkom, Kearabetswe Mokoena, stole the show at the spring graduation ceremony of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein. He was dressed in an exact replica of the academic outfit worn by his father, Mr Ketseletso Mokoena, who obtained his LLB degree from the UFS. The outfit was made by Kearabetswe’s mother Mrs Ennie Mokoena. From the left are Mr Mokoena, his son Kearabetswe, and Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.
Photo: Lacea Loader

Prof Mos Thulare (acting Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Technology) obtained his LL.B. degree during the spring graduation ceremony of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein. On the photo, he is congratulated by Prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS).
Photo: Stephen Collett

Altogether five master's degrees in Physics were awarded during the University of the Free State's (UFS) spring graduation ceremony in Bloemfontein. It is the biggest group of master's degrees in the history of the UFS Department of Physics awarded during a graduation ceremony. From the left are: Richard Harris, Puleng Ramoshebi, Prof Hendrik Swart (Head of the UFS Department of Physics), Lisa Coetsee and Etienne Wurth. One of the students, Gerhard Olivier, was absent when the photo was taken.
Photo: Lacea Loader

Altogether 29 doctorates were awarded during the University of the Free State's (UFS) spring graduation ceremony in Bloemfontein. Some of the doctorandi are from the left: Drs Nicholas Mtshali (Chemistry), Candice Jansen van Rensburg (Zoology), Ina Claassens (Physics), Martin Ntwaeaborwa (Physics) and Vicki Tolmay (Plant Breeding).
Photo: Lacea Loader

A great number of students from Africa were among the 29 students who received their doctorates during the University of the Free State's (UFS) spring graduation ceremony in Bloemfontein. From the left are: Drs Amaha Kassahun (Grassland Science) and Tolessa Debele (Soil Science), both are from Ethiopia.

A number of doctorates were awarded to students across the world during the University of the Free State's (UFS) spring graduation ceremony held in Bloemfontein. From the left are: Drs Eli Kohn (from Israel who received a doctorate in Near Eastern Studies), Prof Philip Nel (UFS Department of Afro-asiatic. Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice), Prof Annette Wilkinson (Centre for Higher Education Studies and Development at the UFS) and Dr Padmanabhan Nair (from India who received a doctorate in Higher Education Studies). Prof Nel was Dr Kohn's co-promoter and Prof Wilkinson was Dr Nair's promoter.
Photo: Stephen Collett

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept