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Three Vice-Deans appointed in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

29 September 2023 | Story Veena Naidoo | Photo Supplied

NAS Vice Deans — From left to right: Prof Johan van Niekerk (Vice-Dean for Agriculture), Prof Liezel Herselman (Vice-Dean for Teaching and Learning) and Prof Samuel Adelabu ( Vice-Dean for Research and Postgraduate Studies).

The University of the Free State is proud to introduce three esteemed academics who have been appointed as Vice-Deans within the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. These appointments, effective from 1 September 2023, mark a significant milestone in enriching our academic leadership and promoting excellence in teaching, research, and innovation. The distinguished individuals selected for these roles bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and dedication, promising to elevate our institution to new heights.

Prof Johan van Niekerk: Vice-Dean for Agriculture

Prof Johan van Niekerk is a prominent figure in the field of Sustainable Food Systems and Development. With a PhD in Sustainable Agriculture and extensive experience in academia, Prof Van Niekerk is well-positioned to lead as the Vice-Dean for Agriculture at the University of the Free State. He has a strong vision for steering the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences towards financial sustainability and global recognition.

One of Prof Van Niekerk's primary goals as Vice-Dean is diversifying funding sources for the faculty, aiming to extend beyond government funding by establishing strategic partnerships with industries and foundations. His active involvement in regional and global agricultural forums underscores his commitment to collaborative research initiatives, further enhancing our faculty's reputation.

In response to the pressing issue of climate change, Prof Van Niekerk's research vision is centred on sustainable agricultural production. He plans to leverage the Paradys Experimental Farm, integrating research, teaching, and practical experiences to fortify our foundation for sustainable agricultural innovation. This approach is designed to equip our students for a rapidly evolving employment market and aligns with the university's Vision 130 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On his appointment, Prof Van Niekerk said, “I am excited about this position's prospects and am confident that agriculture will help deliver the SDGs and the UFS Vision 130. I look forward to contributing to the continued success of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.”

Prof Liezel Herselman: Vice-Dean for Teaching and Learning

Prof Liezel Herselman, a distinguished academic with nearly three decades of experience, has assumed the role of Vice-Dean for Teaching and Learning. Her extensive academic journey, including various leadership roles within the university, showcases her dedication to education and academic advancement.

In this vital role, Prof Herselman will focus on strategic matters, curriculum innovation, and compliance with academic regulations. Her objective is to align the curricula with Vision 130, making the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences the preferred choice for prospective students. Prof Herselman emphasises digital transformation and entrepreneurial projects to provide a cutting-edge educational experience for students, ensuring they meet industry needs and are ready for future employability challenges.

On assuming her new position as Vice-Dean Prof Herselman said, “I am honoured and excited about receiving this opportunity to make a positive and constructive contribution to our faculty. I am still to learn the ropes of some of the teaching and learning processes, but I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge and having to move out of my current comfort zone.”

Prof Samuel Adelabu: Vice-Dean for Research and Postgraduate Studies

Prof Samuel Adelabu, an esteemed expert in Geography, has been appointed as the Vice-Dean for Research and Postgraduate Studies. Prof Adelabu has a profound interest in the application of remote sensing and geographic information systems, making him well-suited to lead research and postgraduate activities within the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

His portfolio includes promoting impactful research and postgraduate initiatives in line with the university's Vision 130, with a special focus on visibility, renewal, and reimagination. Prof Adelabu's leadership is anticipated to foster a thriving research culture and enrich the postgraduate experience at the UFS.

Commenting on his appointment Prof Adelabu remarked, “I am excited about the opportunity to bring my expertise and leadership as Vice-Dean for Research and Postgraduate Studies to the faculty, and work with a team of dedicated professionals to advance the institution's research and postgraduate agenda.”

Future endeavours

These appointments underscore the university’s unwavering commitment to fostering a culture of excellence, research innovation, and enhanced learning experiences. The collective expertise and dedication of Prof Johan van Niekerk, Prof Liezel Herselman, and Prof Samuel Adelabu promise a bright future for their respective faculties and the university at large. We extend our hearty congratulations and eagerly anticipate the positive impact they will bring to our academic community.

News Archive

Code-switching, tokenism and consumerism in print advertising

2014-10-27

Code-switching, linguistic tokenism and modern consumerism in contemporary South African print advertising. This is the current research focus of two lecturers from the Faculty of the Humanities at the UFS, Prof Angelique van Niekerk and Dr Thinus Conradie.

The act of switching between two or more languages is replete with socio-cultural meaning, and can be deployed to advance numerous communicative strategies, including attempts at signalling cultural familiarity and group affiliation (Chung 2006).

For advertising purposes, Fairclough’s (1989) seminal work on the ideological functions of language remark on the usefulness of code-switching as a means of fostering an advertiser-audience relationship that is conducive to persuasion. In advertising, code-switching is a valuable means with which a brand may be invested with a range of positive associations. In English-dominated media, these associations derive from pre-existing connotations that target audiences already hold for a particular (non-English) language. Where exclusivity and taste, for example, are associated with a particular European language (such as French), advertising may use this languages to invest the advertised brand with a sense of exclusivity and taste.

In addition, empirical experiments with sample audiences (in the field of consumer research) suggest that switching from English to the first language of the target audience, is liable to yield positive results in terms of purchase intentions (Bishop and Peterson 2011). This effect is enhanced under the influence of modern consumerism, in which consumption is linked to the performance of identity and ‘[b]rands are more than just products; they are statements of affiliation and belonging’ (Ngwenya 2011, 2; cf. Nuttall 2004; Jones 2013).

In South African print magazines, where the hegemony of English remains largely uncontested, incorporating components of indigenous languages and Afrikaans may similarly be exploited for commercial ends. Our analysis suggests that the most prevalent form of code-switching from English to indigenous South African languages represents what we have coded as linguistic tokenism. That is, in comparison with the more expansive use of both Afrikaans and foreign languages (such as French), code-switching is used in a more limited manner, and mainly to presuppose community and solidarity with first-language speakers of indigenous languages. In cases of English-to-Afrikaans code-switching, our findings echo the trends observed for languages such as French and German. That is, the language is exploited for pre-existing associations. However, in contrast with French (often associated with prestige) and German (often associated with technical precision), Afrikaans is used to invoke cultural stereotypes, notably a self-satirical celebration of Afrikaner backwardness and/or lack of refinement that is often interpolated with hyper-masculinity.

References

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