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UFS ASU Mountain-to-Mountain initiative boosts UFS global competitiveness

16 October 2023 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Sonia Small

Members involved in the Mountain-to-Mountain collaboration between the two institutions recently met at ASU to seek further collaboration beyond the completion of the current project. Pictured here is Dr Grey Magaiza, Lecturer and Head of the UFS Community Development Programme on the Qwaqwa Campus.

A three-year collaboration between the University of the Free State (UFS) and the Appalachian State University (ASU) in Boone, North Carolina in the United States, is coming to an end. The Mountain-to-Mountain Collaboration under the US University Partnership Initiative in South Africa is funded through the US Embassy and Consulates in South Africa.

From the start, this project had four specific objectives. It wanted to develop and offer an interdisciplinary master's degree in Mountain Studies and another in Community Development on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus.

Furthermore, the collaboration included the installation of four climate monitoring stations in the Maloti-Drakensberg (South Africa), which will form part of a global network of climate change monitoring sites. A further objective of the grant was to establish and offer a formal leadership mentorship programme for younger black women in academia and support services at the UFS.

According to Dr Grey Magaiza, Head of the UFS Community Development Programme (Qwaqwa), mutual synergies were identified due to the mountainous locations of both campuses (Qwaqwa and AppState), and the Mountain-to-Mountain project between the two universities was conceptualised.

The stated objectives and more were achieved.

Grant implementation progress

Dr Magaiza says four meteorological stations have been installed in the Drakensberg and data is now streaming through for climate monitoring.

The new master's programme in Community Development has successfully received accreditation from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and will be offered in 2024 or 2025, pending internal logistical processes. The new interdisciplinary master's degree in Mountain Studies is currently under review.

Additionally, an innovative mentorship programme was designed to support the academic and administrative development of 12 black female support and academic staff. Some have since completed their postgraduate studies, and as a result of this collaboration, an article has been accepted for publication in a book chapter. Other female colleagues have also improved their operational competencies in their workplaces. Dr Magaiza remarked, “This aspect of the project has created a network of aspiring and ambitious young female staff members seeking to expand their footprint.”

Also resulting from this initiative were two engaged scholarship initiatives with civic sector organisations in Qwaqwa. These engagements led to the formation of the Maluti-a-Phofung Sustainable Development Forum to engage on development issues in Qwaqwa.

Future steps

Dr Magaiza is excited about the future prospects created by this project. “There have been some signs of potential collaboration in the UFS Department of Geography, for example, Ethnobotany and the Centre for Appalachian Studies. All these partnerships will improve the academic profile of the UFS and enhance international collaborations,” he believes.

He is also of the opinion that the increased internationalisation footprint brought about by this project, coupled with the much-needed partnership, will go a long way in enhancing the global standing of the UFS as a research-led institution. “The partnership will also see the entrance of the UFS into nuanced scholarly areas such as mountain studies and mountain medicinal research,” he says.

Dr Magaiza feels a productive and impactful research agenda is critical for any university. “This partnership is supporting the UFS in achieving its strategic imperative to be a globally competitive research-led institution. The postgraduate programmes also enhance our student-centric appeal, while the mentorship programme reaffirms the institution’s ethic of care as critical to the upward mobility and support for female staff members.”

Members involved in the Mountain-to-Mountain collaboration between the two institutions recently met at ASU to seek further collaboration beyond the completion of the current project.

News Archive

UFS honours young researchers

2006-02-10

Some of the guests attending the recognition function were from the left: Prof Magda Fourie (Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the UFS), Mr Joseph Smiles (lecturer at the UFS Department of Political Science and Thuthuka grant holder), Prof Frans Swanepoel (Director: Research Development at the UFS) and Dr Carlien Pohl (lecturer at the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology and Thuthuka grant holder).
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

The guest speaker was Prof Jonathan Jansen, Dean: Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria (UP). He gave tips to young and promising researchers on how to be an outstanding scholar.
What is a Scholar

UFS honours young researchers

The University of the Free State (UFS) last night honoured 24 young researchers who are taking part in the National Research Fund’s (NRF) Thuthuka programme.

The recognition function is the first of its kind at the UFS. “The renewed focus on research development that was recently announced at the official opening of the UFS by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie, is an indication of the institution’s endeavour to create an environment in which research can be improved and flourish. This can only be obtained when researchers are being valued and that is why it is important to honour our young researchers,” said Mrs Annelize Venter, researcher at the UFS Research Development Directorate and coordinator of the programme.

The focus on research was also touched on recently by President Thabo Mbeki during the opening of Parliament when he said: “We will continue to engage the leadership of our tertiary institutions focused on working with them to meet the nation’s expectations with regard to teaching and research. For its part, the government is determined to increase the resource allocation for research and development and innovation, and increase the pool of young researchers."

According to Mrs Venter, research done in 2004 shows that the majority researchers who publish are white males above the age of 50. “Many students who undertake magister studies choose not to conduct research, but rather to do a thesis and additional subjects. This means that research is not stimulated. Students also find it difficult to obtain financial support for postgraduate studies,” she explained.
“Thutuka is a capacity building programme of the NRF that is aimed to
fund and support the qualifications of women and young black scientists and other researchers who do not have a rating for postgraduate research. It is based on a funding partnership between the UFS and the NRF,” said Mrs Venter.

Last night Prof Frans Swanepoel, Director: Research Development at the UFS, added to his by saying: “With the Thuthuka programme we aim to create and sustain a research culture at the UFS, promote international research and train researchers of a high quality and enhance the research capacity at the UFS by focusing on women, black researchers and other promising researchers.”

The programme was started by the NRF in 2001. At that stage only 17 grants were made countrywide. Last year 370 postgraduate students took part in the programme.

According to Mrs Venter the programme was implemented at the UFS in 2003. “At that stage we only had 5 grant holders. This year there are 24 Ph D and magister students on the programme,” she said.

A couple of young promising researchers, who will be participating in the programme in 2007, also attended last night’s recognition function.

The guest speaker was Prof Jonathan Jansen, Dean: Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria (UP). He gave tips to young and promising researchers on how to be an outstanding scholar.

Nine professors were also congratulated with their promotion to senior research professor, namely Proff Louise Cilliers (Department of English and Classical Languages), James du Preez (Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology), Johan Grobbelaar (Department of Plant Sciences), Dingie Janse van Rensburg (Centre for Health Systems Research and Development), Dap Louw (Department of Psychology), Philip Nel (Department of Afro-asiatic Studies and Language Practice and Sign Language), Louis Scott (Department of Plant Sciences), Dirk van den Berg (Department of History of Art) and Andries Raath (Department of Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law).

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
10 February 2006

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