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05 October 2023 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Stephen Collet
UFS Research scholars celebrated at the annual research awards
The recipients of the various awards presented at the annual UFS Research Awards.

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted its annual Research Awards function at the Wynand Mouton Theatre on the Bloemfontein campus. Present at this event on 26 September 2023 were Prof Francis Petersen, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UFS, Prof Crain Soudien, a globally renowned academic and the President of the Cornerstone Institute, and members of the UFS academic community, among others. 

The awards ceremony

Prof Petersen stated, ‘’The purpose of the event is to recognise scholars at the University of the Free State who are conducting outstanding research in their respective fields of expertise.’’ Certificates were presented to researchers in various categories, including National Research Foundation (NRF) Rated Scholars from categories P to A.  Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the UFS, highlighted that there are precisely 217 NRF-rated scholars within the institution. However, some of these scholars had not been acknowledged internally. Hence, the ceremony aimed to celebrate these scholars.

Furthermore, UFS staff members were acknowledged for their research at both national and international levels. Prof Abdon Atangana, named as one of five recipients of the inaugural UNESCO-Al Fozan International Prize for the Promotion of Young Scientists in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), was among these individuals. Future professors of the institution who are part of the Professoriate Programme were also recognised for their outstanding performance in transforming the programme.

The highly anticipated category of the evening was the UFS Book Prize for distinguished scholarship. Prof Reddy explained, ‘’the purpose of the award is to recognise outstanding publications produced by any permanent member of the UFS staff, which are research-based and published in a book. Prof Soudien, who was the guest speaker for the evening and one of the reviewers of the books nominated in this category, indicated that he found the books ‘’illuminating and in many ways challenging of positions I hold and positions that I think that we all ought to be reflecting on in terms of where our world is going’’. 

From the four nominees vying for this award, Prof Helene Strauss was announced as the winner of the 2022 UFS Book Prize for her book entitled, ‘Wayward Feeling: Audio-Visual Culture and Aesthetic Activism in Post-Rainbow South Africa’. Strauss expressed her appreciation, saying, ‘’It is a great honour to be awarded the UFS Book Prize given the high calibre of this year's nominees. It is a lovely morale boost at this time of the year when our motivation can start to flag under the weight of the workload. It inspires me to continue to try to live up to the many examples of outstanding research produced on this campus.’’ The prize includes a certificate of honour as well as a monetary award. 

The significance of the awards ceremony

While the award ceremony aims to recognise and celebrate research outputs by the UFS staff, Prof Petersen emphasises that it is also an acknowledgement of the researchers’ impact. Through their contributions, they elevate the research profile of the institution, thereby bringing the vision of becoming a research-led university, as outlined in Vision 130, closer to reality.  

News Archive

Asive humbled by new responsibility
2017-09-27

Description: TEDxUFS   Tags: TEDxUFS

Asive Dlanjwa, President of the Student Representative
Council (SRC) on the Bloemfontein Campus, and Pura
Mgolombane, Dean of Student Affairs, during the
announcement of the 2017/2018 SRC.
Photo: Johan Roux

Nothing humbles him more than the fact that thousands of students had chosen to put their weight, hopes, and dreams behind him. The emotions Asive Dlanjwa felt when he was announced as the new President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) on the Bloemfontein Campus reveals something about his character.

He clearly understands the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. Asive, who loves the church and cycling, says he felt a variety of emotions when he was announced as president on 31 August 2017 at the Thakaneng Bridge.

“It was an exciting feeling, but more than anything, it was such a humbling feeling; humbled not only by the excitement of the students when I was announced, but also by the fact that thousands of students had chosen to put their weight, hopes, and dreams behind me!”

Two main objectives

Asive and his SRC have two main objectives – to improve access to the university and advance the integration of our off-campus students into the greater campus community. The Bachelor of Commerce student from Umtata says there are several issues and initiatives his SRC will be tackling – all of them flowing from these objectives.

Including off-campus students

Asive says the SRC will seek to improve access to the university and its various offerings, and to also provide the necessary support to ensure their success. “Also within this objective would be to decisively deal with all forms of exclusion, from academic to financial to social and cultural exclusions perpetuated by systems and policies.”

With regards to off-campus students, he says university life previously revolved around residence life. He means the remains of that are still evident, to the detriment of the greater student community who are off-campus students.

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