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UFS presents the second Heads of Diplomatic Mission breakfast

02 November 2023 | Story Kekeletso Makau | Photo SUPPLIED

The second Heads of Diplomatic Mission breakfast was hosted by the University of the Free State (UFS) in collaboration with the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) in Pretoria, South Africa on 26 October 2023.

The event served as an opportunity to position the UFS as a preferred partner for international collaboration in higher education, research, and innovation – following the success of the inaugural event in 2022. More than ten diplomatic missions were represented by distinguished foreign mission representatives who shared in the deliberations on this year’s theme, namely partnerships and collaborations.

The keynote address was delivered by the UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Francis Petersen, with contributing presentations from MISTRA researcher Laurence Caromba, UFS Professor of Pharmacology, Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, and Senior Lecturer from the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies, Dr Grey Magaiza. A key goal of Prof Petersen’s presentation was to highlight the benefits of reciprocal collaboration and co-creation of knowledge with international partners, including industry partners. Contributing presentations posited the UFS as a partner of interest in research, innovation, and technology in the international arena and showcased the value of university and diplomatic partnerships in support of the UFS Internationalisation Strategy and Vision 130.

Caromba, a MISTRA researcher, reiterated the importance of collaboration between universities, research institutes, and the diplomatic community, further reaffirming the partnership value proposition entrenched in the UFS-MISTRA collaboration in co-hosting this year’s event. MISTRA, a renowned influential think tank, served as an excellent partner for the event.

The UFS currently boasts more than 100 vibrant international partnerships and is the incumbent coordinator of large EU-funded Erasmus+ projects among South African universities, with UFS researchers having co-authored more than 5 000 scientific publications with universities worldwide (2018-2022).

An engaging question-and-answer session concluded with insights and further action items for continued engagement post the event.

News Archive

Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson mourned

2012-12-03

03 December 2012

Former Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson has died in Johannesburg on Saturday after reportedly suffering from pneumonia.

Chaskalson was the president of the Constitutional Court from 1994 to 2001 and then became Chief Justice until he retired in 2005. He was hailed as one of the architects of South Africa’s democracy.

In a short statement Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, said: “Chief Justice Chaskalson stands as a giant on the South African landscape, a man whose sense of justice and his deep humanity put him on the right side of history as part of the legal team defending Nelson Mandela. It was completely appropriate that he was chosen to serve as the first Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, where he again served as a moral beacon for all citizens in our emerging democracy.”

IOL reports President Jacob Zuma has declared Chaskalson’s funeral a special official funeral. National flags, including that at the UFS, will fly at half-mast from Monday until Friday.

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