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03 October 2023 | Story André Damons | Photo André Damons
Dr Asha Malan
Dr Asha Malan, Head of Vascular Surgery in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), was elected as the President-elect for the Vascular Society of Southern Africa – the first woman in South Africa to be elected for this position in the Society’s 40-year existence.

Dr Asha Malan, the Head of Vascular Surgery in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), has made history by being elected as the President-elect for the Vascular Society of Southern Africa. This milestone marks the first time a woman in South Africa has attained this prestigious position in the Society’s 40-year existence.

Dr Malan, an exemplary surgeon and a trailblazer, is not only one of the seven qualified female vascular surgeons in the country but also holds the distinction of being the youngest and first female to head an academic unit in South Africa. Her election took place at the recently concluded 2023 Vascular Society of Southern Africa (VASSA) Congress, a significant event for the UFS Division of Vascular Surgery, under her leadership as the congress chairperson. The Congress was hosted at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West, Cape Town, in collaboration with the World Federation of Vascular Societies (WFVS) and the European Society of Vascular Surgery (ESVS).

Reflecting on her achievement, Dr Malan remarked, “It is not only an honour to be the first woman in 40 years to lead this Society, but an honour to be elected for this role.  VASSA has established a well-recognised international footprint and has invested significantly in promoting the growth of vascular surgery as a specialised surgical field in South Africa.” 

She added, “Representing the Society in this capacity allows me to continue serving its members and the Southern African community, creating awareness not only about the growing burden of vascular diseases but also the advancements in the field to address these challenges.” 

First gathering since 2018

The 2023 VASSA Congress marked the first gathering of Vascular Surgery specialists in South Africa since 2018, a gap caused by the pandemic. The event was attended by approximately 300 delegates, including nursing staff, radiographers, vascular technologists and other allied health professionals with a keen interest in Vascular Surgery. VASSA sponsored nursing staff, a radiographer and a vascular technologist from Universitas Academic Hospital to attend the meeting. 

The high-quality, four-day programme featured talks from local and international experts covering various aspects of vascular surgery, such as aortic surgery, peripheral arterial disease, carotid pathology, dialysis access and venous disease.  Notably, the academic programme saw the participation of 32 international speakers. Guest speaker, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, the founder of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, delivered an inspiring talk during the ethics session titled “Humanitarian efforts within the Healthcare Sector – Sharing the Responsibility”.  

Presentations

During the Congress, Dr Malan and several Vascular Surgeons from the Department of Surgery represented the UFS. Dr Malan shared her experiences in developing a dedicated unit for the management of complex thoraco-abdominal aneurysmal disease, a talk that garnered significant interest and applause from both local and international experts. 

In her presentation, Dr Malan took the audience through her journey to several different international units to gain expertise in open thoraco-abdominal aortic surgery. She also highlighted the UFS Division of Vascular Surgery’s achievement of being the first academic Vascular Surgery unit in South Africa to perform a complex endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.  In addition, Dr Sam Letsoara and Dr Wikus Mulder, Vascular Surgery Fellows in training, presented the local evolution of endovascular therapy as well as an audit of endovascular management of blunt thoracic aortic injury at Universitas Academic Hospital, respectively.  Dr Sam Agbo, a registrar in the Department of Surgery, also presented his MMed research, evaluating the cost of open versus endovascular management of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

The Congress significantly contributed to the promotion of Vascular Surgical awareness and care, not only in South Africa, but across Africa and globally. It stands as a testament to the dedication and expertise of the Division of Vascular Surgery at the University of the Free State.

News Archive

UFS welcomes Prof Francis Petersen as new Vice-Chancellor and Rector
2017-04-02

 

Prof Francis Petersen takes up office as the 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State today.
 
“On behalf of the UFS Council and the university community, I would like to welcome Prof Petersen to the university. He brings to the UFS a distinguished academic record, confident leadership, innovative thinking, and an understanding of the extent of the challenges being experienced by universities in the broader South African context,” says Mr Willem Louw, Chairperson of the UFS Council. 
 
“I am excited to join the UFS and look forward to meeting the university community, to get to know the three campuses, and to engage with staff and students. In a way, it was a natural progression for me to be appointed in this position, having been Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and then Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Institutional Innovation at the same university.  On the other hand, I believe that universities in South Africa need strong and innovative leadership. I would like to make a contribution to the higher-education system in this regard.  Moreover, I regard the UFS as a very good university, and see my challenge in taking the UFS to the next level,” says Prof Petersen.
 
“Challenges and making a difference motivate me – whether complex or simplistic, the opportunity to be able to provide solutions and taking people with me while developing these solutions, is what ultimately motivates me.”
 
“It is important that different viewpoints are respected. The UFS must be a place where everyone feels welcome. There must be a strong sense of belonging; staff and students must feel they are making a contribution to the university,” he says.
 
According to Prof Petersen, the major challenge for the university is its institutional climate.  “My focus would be to strive towards creating an institutional climate of inclusivity, respect for one another, valuing diversity in all its forms, and to make the university a welcoming place. The UFS is in the process of developing an Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP) that will serve as the road map to address the institutional climate challenge, but will also assist (if implemented effectively) in excelling the UFS in areas of teaching and learning, research and innovation, and community engagement through scholarship,” says Prof Petersen.

“I am a good listener, I am outcome-based, and my vision for the university includes diversity, inclusivity, and academic excellence,” he says.

Prof Petersen was born in Oudtshoorn and grew up in Malmesbury in the Western Cape, where he also matriculated. He graduated from Stellenbosch University with a BEng (Chem Eng), MEng (Metal Eng), and PhD (Eng) degrees and completed a short course on Financial Skills for Executive Management. He is a recipient of the Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Award for research excellence, and was visiting professor at the Cape Technikon and extraordinary professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stellenbosch University. He is a regular reviewer of journals, and member of a range of editorial boards for international journals. He is also a registered professional engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa and a Fellow of both the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and the South African Academy of Engineers.

 He brings to the position of Vice-Chancellor and Rector his extensive experience of management in both the industry and academic sectors. He has been the executive head of strategy at Anglo American Platinum and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Cape Technikon (now Cape Peninsula University of Technology). Among others, he previously served as member on the Board of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the National Advisory Council on Innovation, and the Council of the Academy of Science of South Africa.

 Prof Petersen is married and has two sons. He was appointed by the UFS Council at the end of 2016 after Prof Jonathan Jansen stepped down as Vice-Chancellor and Rector on 31 August 2016, serving in this position since July 2009. Prof Nicky Morgan, Vice-Rector: Operations at the UFS, has been acting Vice-Chancellor and Rector since 1 September 2016.

 

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

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