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12 January 2024 | Story Gerda-Marié van Rooyen | Photo Supplied
Gerhard de Bruin read more
Dr Gerhard de Bruin is a dedicated paediatrician and a passionate organist.

Medicine and music keep him systematic and focused – skills that are crucial to being successful, according to Dr Gerhard de Bruin. He says many medical professionals have a talent and an interest in music.

“It’s not just an escape from daily routine; it nurtures creativity and activates different brain hemispheres. Organisational skills are vital in medicine and music. Both require discipline and extensive practice to excel.”

Solid background in piano

Dr De Bruin, an alumnus of the UFS, is not only a dedicated paediatrician with a keen interest in pulmonology, developmental and learning disabilities, and paediatric oncology, but also a passionate organist actively pursuing a PhD in this musical discipline.

He has been providing medical care to infants, toddlers, and adolescents since 2004. After completing his MB ChB at the UFS, he lived abroad before returning to South Africa to specialise in paediatrics. However, his passion for music was ignite earlier on.

"Kovsies offered me exposure to other faculties and their workings and helped to integrate medical students into campus life, more than other campuses in the country."

With a solid background in piano, Dr De Bruin began organ lessons at the Odeion School of Music during his second year of study.

Realising that his musical skills would wane without active practise, he embraced this ‘wonderful escape’ from academia.

His doctoral music study refers to Prof Jacobus Kloppers’ work. Prof Kloppers contributed greatly to organ music in Bloemfontein during his tenure in the Department of Music in the 1970s. “I fell in love with his composition style and feel comfortable performing his works. There is growing interest in documenting his career as a South African-born composer, offering me the chance to conduct a practice-based study on the thematic underpinnings in his compositions.”

Success requires consistent effort

Balancing his responsibilities as a paediatrician with after hour commitments, Dr De Bruin occasionally serves as a substitute organist to maintain proficiency and confidence in front of an audience. “Performing for yourself and others is essential to becoming a well-rounded musician.”

His commitment to his dual passions taught him that success requires consistent effort. He advises aspiring students to take continuous, small steps in the right direction to achieve their goals and realise their dreams.

News Archive

Launch of the Africa office of the IIDE
2006-05-25

Attending the launch of the Africa office of the IIDE were from the left Prof Sytse Strijbos (Chairperson of IIDE Europe), Rev Kiepie Jaftha (Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa’s Board of Directors and Chief Director: Community Service at the UFS) and Prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS).

 

Attending the launch were from the left Prof Lucius Botes (Director: Centre of Development Support at the UFS), Dr Samuel Kareithi (Head: Community Development at the Cornerstone Christian College, Cape Town), Rev Kiepie Jaftha (Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa’s Board of Directors and Chief Director: Community Service at the UFS), Prof Sytse Strijbos (Chairperson of IIDE Europe) and Dr Ezekiel Moraka (Vice-Rector:  Student Affairs at the UFS).

Africa office of IIDE launched on UFS main campus 

The Africa office of the International Institute for Development and Ethics (IIDE) was today (26 May 2006) launched on the Main Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein.

“The IIDE specialises in the studying and research of general questions of developmental theory and practices and provides services and support in education, strategic planning, policy formulation, advocacy and capacity building of development agencies,” said Rev Kiepie Jaftha, Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa’s Board of Directors and Chief Director: Community Service at the UFS.

According to Rev Jaftha the IIDE in Africa will focus on the conceptual and normative aspects of developmental processes in Sub-Saharan Africa.  “We want to foster local and international partnerships with various relevant role-players in civil society, the private sector and public sector in the SACD region and later expand our operations to the rest of Africa,” said Rev Jaftha.

The IIDE in Africa cooperates with a similar foundation in Europe, functioning as the IIDE Europe.  This institute was founded in 2003 and its head office is situated in the Netherlands.  The UFS is a funder of the IIDE in Africa together with the Paul Foundation and private sponsors from the Netherlands.

“We have already started with various projects which are in various stages of implementation,” said Rev Jaftha.  Some of these projects include, among others, the broadening of the master’s degree in Christian Studies of Science and Society (MACSSS) which is currently housed at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam to tertiary institutions in South Africa such as the UFS, the University of Stellenbosch and the Potchefstroom Campus of the Northwest University.

“Another project is an investigation into the possibility of initiating a broad development initiative in the poverty stricken Qwaqwa area.  This initiative will attempt to concentrate on issues like the training and empowerment of prospective entrepreneurs in the region, the identification of prospective entrepreneurs for the rendering of development support and the monitoring of the impact of information and communication technology on local communities during the implementation of sustainable development initiatives,” said Rev Jaftha.

“The establishment of the Africa office of the IIDE on the UFS Main Campus is an indication of one of the aims of the UFS to play a role in South Africa and Africa.  It also signifies our aim to contribute meaningfully to research and development and to establish links between the academe and practice,” said Rev Jaftha. 

 

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

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