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01 March 2024 Photo Unsplash
Africa
Collaborating across continents, the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS), alongside the Centre for African Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in India and the African Studies Association of India (ASA India), held a pivotal international webinar titled 'Africa’s Global Engagements: Opportunities and Challenges,' on 27 and 28 January 2024.

In the midst of a global landscape marked by rapid changes, Africa finds itself at the epicentre of a new wave of international interest. This intrigue stems from a myriad of factors, ranging from the continent’s abundant natural resources to its strategic geopolitical positioning. However, amidst this renewed attention, questions arise regarding Africa’s agency and its place in the evolving global order.

In recent times, there has been a notable surge in global actors vying for influence in Africa. From former colonial powers to emerging economies like China and India, various stakeholders seek to engage African nations on multiple fronts, spanning from economic cooperation to security collaborations. Against this backdrop, it becomes imperative to delve into Africa’s international engagements to grasp the nuances of its evolving role on the global stage.

Addressing this imperative, the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS), in collaboration with the Centre for African Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in India and the African Studies Association of India (ASA India), convened an international webinar titled, Africa’s Global Engagements: Opportunities and Challenges. Held on 27 and 28 February 2024, the event was jointly opened by Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Internationalisation at the UFS and Prof Ajay Dubey, former Pro Vice-Chancellor at JNU and currently a professor in the Centre for Africa Studies at JNU. The conference brought together scholars and policymakers from diverse backgrounds and regions, united in their quest to comprehensively understand Africa’s evolving position in the global arena.

In his opening remarks, Prof Vasu Reddy, underscored the timeliness of the conference aligning it to the institution’s visionary framework, Vision 130. He highlighted the centering of Africa as a focal point for addressing broader global challenges emphasising the interconnectedness of Africa’s experiences with broader global narratives. Prof Reddy articulated how Africa serves as a nexus for transnational interactions, intertwining diverse histories, politics, and socio-economic dynamics with the larger global discourse.

Moreover, the conference shed light on the concept of the “Global South” and its implications in the contemporary global order. Participants deliberated on the complexities of African agency within this framework, examining how African states navigate their engagements with a myriad of international actors while asserting their own interests and priorities.

The event not only symbolised a collaboration between the UFS and JNU, as outlined in their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), but also signified a shared commitment towards prioritising engagements within the Global South. Through platforms like these, institutions like UFS and JNU demonstrate their dedication to fostering meaningful dialogues and scholarly exchanges that transcend geographical borders.

As Africa continues to navigate its place in the fast-changing global landscape, initiatives such as this webinar serve as critical platforms for fostering mutual understanding and cooperation among scholars and policymakers worldwide. By engaging in nuanced discussions and collaborative efforts, stakeholders can collectively contribute to shaping a more inclusive and equitable global order.

News Archive

Plant scientists address wheat rust diseases at SASPP congress
2015-02-02

Pictured from the left are: Prof Zakkie Pretorius, Dr Botma Visser and Howard Castelyn.
Photo: Supplied

In his research, Dr Botma Visser, researcher in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State, highlighted the population dynamics of the stem rust fungus (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) in Southern Africa. In recent years, two foreign stem rust races were introduced to South Africa, and a local virulence adaptation occurred in a third.

All of these races form part of the Ug99 group, a highly virulent collection of rust races endangering wheat production in many parts of the world. Despite the fact that half of the members of the Ug99 race group is prevalent in South Africa, Dr Visser’s work has clearly shown that Ug99 did not have its origin here. This emphasised the need to include neighbouring countries in the annual stem rust surveys, to proactively identify new races that could threaten local wheat production. In his research, Dr Visser also mentioned the way in which he has optimised modern molecular tools to accurately detect Ug99 isolates.

Dr Visser is one of three scientists from the Department of Plant Sciences that addressed delegates attending the biennial congress of the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology (SASPP) on the Bloemfontein Campus earlier this month on progress regarding research on wheat rust diseases conducted at the UFS.

Howard Castelyn, a PhD student in Plant Sciences, presented his research on quantifying fungal growth of the stem rust pathogen in wheat varieties displaying genetic resistance. This resistance, which is best expressed in adult plants, has the potential to remain durable in the presence of new rust variants. His presentation at the congress focused on optimising microscopic and molecular techniques to track fungal development in stem tissues of adult plants. These results now allow scientists to link rust infection levels and cellular responses with particular resistance genes expressed by the wheat plant, and contributing to the understanding and exploitation of durable resistance.

Prof Zakkie Pretorius presented his research, explaining how new genetic diversity for resistance to the stripe (yellow) rust fungus (Puccinia striiformis) is discovered, analysed and applied in South Africa. This research, conducted in collaboration with Dr Renée Prins and her team at CenGen, is unravelling the genetic basis of stripe rust resistance in a promising wheat line identified by Dr Willem Boshoff, a plant breeder at Pannar. The line and DNA markers to track the resistance genes will soon be introduced to South African wheat breeding programmes.

The rust research programme at the UFS contributes significantly to the successful control of these important crop diseases.

In addition to the contributions by the UFS, rust fungi featured prominently at the SASPP, with first reports of new diseases on sugar cane and Acacia and Eucalyptus trees in South Africa. A case study of the use of a rust fungus as a biological control agent for invasive plant species in the Western Cape, was also presented.

 

For more information or enquiries contact news@ufs.ac.za .

 

 

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