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26 April 2024 | Story Athembele Yangaphi | Photo Supplied
Dr Tafadzwa Maramura and Christopher Strydom
Dr Tafadzwa Maramura and Christopher Strydom at 2024 ASSADPAM Ceremony at the University of Pretoria's Future Africa Campus.

A trio of 2024 University of the Free State (UFS) honours-degree graduates recently represented the UFS at the 2024 Association of Southern African Schools and Departments of Public Administration and Management (ASSADPAM) Conference.

Nameera Bade, Christopher Strydom, and Thato Tshabalala’s presentation was based on their 2023 honours research titled ‘Exploring the Influence of Loadshedding on Water Governance: A Case of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality’, which earned them each a distinction on their honours degree completion.

The 2024 ASSADPAM Conference was held at the University of Pretoria's Future Africa Campus and brought together academics and practitioners in the field of public administration and management.

The three graduates are currently continuing their studies by taking on master’s degrees in administration – Bade and Strydom at the UFS and Tshabalala at the University of South Africa.

“Presenting our study at the ASSADPAM Conference was an absolute honour,” Strydom said. “However, I did experience some imposter syndrome, because usually it is only PhD candidates and tenured academics that present their work at the conference, [not a] first-year master’s student presenting out of his honours mini-dissertation. But I quickly got over my imposter syndrome by reframing the situation.”

The trio’s conference presentation was preceded by their recognition for Best Presentation at the UFS second Library and Information Services Honours and Undergraduate Seminar (LISHURS) Symposium on 5 April 2024.

“Being awarded the best presentation at the second LISHURS confirmed how impactful our research is, how it resonates with people. And it was also satisfying to get credit for the hard work we have put in,” said Strydom, who also received two awards at the 2024 Faculty of Economic Management Sciences (EMS) Prize Function: Best Honours Student in the Department of Public Administration and Management, and Best Honours Student in the EMS Faculty – prizes sponsored by the Kovsie Alumni Trust.

Dr Tafadzwa Maramura, Senior Lecturer in the UFS’s Department of Public Administration and Management, co-presented the research with the students at the conference. “Working with Nameera, Chris, and Thato has been a great experience. All of them are talented and unique individuals,” Dr Maramura said.

Impactful research in public governance

He highlighted the significance of the students' research, stating, “[Their paper] has certainly had a profound impact on the EMS Faculty.”

Dr Maramura further emphasised the department's commitment to addressing real-world challenges through rigorous academic inquiry, praising the students for engaging in relevant and timely research initiatives.

The collaboration between the three students and Dr Maramura extends beyond conference presentations: they are set to write an article based on their honours research for publication in a journal, which will further establish their names within the water-energy sphere and contribute to ongoing discussions in public governance.

News Archive

Start your postgraduate journey: Open Day 2016
2016-06-13

Postgraduate Open Day
Programme

You find yourself in the final year of your studies and are keen to step out into the real world, or you are already earning a salary and want to advance yourself in the corporate world. However, the truth is that, if you want to stand out and be heard in a very noisy employment landscape, you have to improve your competitive advantage.

Postgraduate studies give you the edge, and open up a greater chance of opportunities, such as:

Quick fact:
Your B degree is no longer enough
to enable you to climb the corporate
ladder to success. The answer to
your dilemma is Postgraduate
Studies
.

•    Improving your employability
•    Earning a higher income
•    Developing your communication, critical-thinking
      and problem-solving skills
•    Inspiring change in your community
•    Networking with people of all ages and backgrounds

One of the major investments to enhance postgraduate studies at the University of the Free State (UFS), is the Postgraduate School. As an intellectual space, designed specifically with postgraduate students in mind, its main purpose is to make your life easier and the postgraduate road less bumpy by supporting and guiding you through:

•    Supervision
•    Writing skills training
•    Multiple seminars, conferences, webinars, and workshops on research and scholarship
•    Assistance to access funding opportunities

In order to assist you in selecting a postgraduate path, the UFS is hosting a Postgraduate Open Day.

Date: 22 June 2016
Time: Centenary Complex, UFS Bloemfontein Campus (Consult the map for directions)
Venue: 08:30-12:00
Contact details
Postgraduate Prospectus 2017

Join us to get the inside track on reshaping your future.

 

 

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