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Launching the South African Chapter of the SANRAL Chair alumni programme

25 October 2023 | Story Dr Kwazi Magwenzi | Photo supplied

SANRAL Chair launch — The SANRAL Chair in Mathematics and Science , Prof Loyiso Jita with the Programme graduates, the PhD and Masters SANRAL Alumni at the event held on 28 September 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The South African Chapter of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) Chair alumni programme at the University of the Free State (UFS) was recently launched at the Silverstar Hotel and Casino in Johannesburg. The event aimed to showcase and celebrate the achievements made and lessons learnt in the programme, highlight the key elements and outputs to the Faculty of Education stakeholders and reimagine the future. The Faculty of Education has increased its footprint in Engaged Scholarship activities, aligning itself with the UFS Vision 130. Multiple stakeholders and community partners were invited to witness the outstanding achievements of this programme.

Since its inception in 2014, the SANRAL Chair has produced over 40 PhD graduates in three countries, namely South Africa, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe. One of the key goals of Vision 130 is for the UFS to be regionally engaged and to contribute to pressing societal needs. This involves knowledge generation that contributes to local and regional development and building sustainable partnerships. The PhD and Masters graduates have become a highly valued human resource in the South African education system and the region, and are now positioned as leaders in Institutions of higher learning in South Africa, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe.

The SANRAL Chair currently supervises a cohort of doctoral and master's students, providing guidance in mathematical research and publications. The internship programme represents SANRAL's commitment to building skilled capacity in communities, along with driving social and economic transformation. SANRAL has also identified common challenges faced by Small, Medium, and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) in its projects and has implemented training programmes to address these issues.

South Africa has implemented a range of programmes designed to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1), which includes land reform, agriculture, free higher education and growth. Despite the significant progress made on South Africa’s developmental journey since the advent of democracy in 1994, the country remains one of the most unequal societies in the world. Achieving the SDGs is, therefore, in South Africa’s best interest as the country pursues the vision of a united, non-racial, non-sexist, and prosperous nation living in harmony with itself and the rest of the world.

As South Africa looks ahead to 2030, it seeks to build on the substantial progress achieved thus far, and on the robust policy, legislative, and planning foundation. The focus will be on consolidating and expanding the many areas where public welfare and development are at the forefront.

News Archive

UFS takes a leading role in nuclear medicine and technology

2011-12-06

Photo: Dr Glen Taylor

The University of the Free State (UFS) continues to play an active role in the field of Nuclear Medicine and the use of nuclear technology in the biosciences. Dr Glen Taylor, Director of Research Commercialisation and Business Development at the UFS, was recently elected chairperson of the board for the Nuclear Technologies in Medicine and the Biosciences Initiative (NTeMBI).

The UFS is currently one of three centres of excellence in the country identified by the Nuclear Energy Corporation South African (Necsa) to roll out the capacity development programme and increase technology coming from nuclear medicine and technology.

NTeMBI is a national technology platform that is managed by Necsa and supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). It functions as a high-level Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) initiative that will implement new strategic initiatives relating to research and development on nuclear technologies in medicine and the biosciences on a local, regional and international level.

One of the roles Dr Taylor will perform as Chairperson of the board of NTeMBI, is to enhance the exposure of nuclear technology in medicine and the biosciences. Dr Taylor says the aim is to increase the skills base in South Africa. “I realise it is one of the scare skills in the country.”

The UFS already received a significant amount of funding from the grant of R4 million per annum made available from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to implement NTeMBI projects.

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