Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
01 February 2024
|
Story Lacea Loader
|
Photo SUPPLIED
Prof Prince Ngobeni, newly appointed Campus Principal of the UFS Qwaqwa Campus.
The University of the Free State (UFS) has appointed Prof Prince Ngobeni as Principal of the Qwaqwa Campus as from 1 February 2024.
Prof Ngobeni completed his first qualification in Analytical Chemistry at the then Technikon North-West before furthering his studies at the then Technikon Pretoria. He completed a DTech in Chemistry at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in 2003. In 2016, he enrolled for a Doctor of Business Administration in Higher Education at the University of Bath in England.
His lecturing career began at TUT in 1995 where he progressed from Head of Department: Chemistry in 2003 to Associate Dean: Faculty of Science in 2010, before being appointed as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at TUT in 2015 – a position he held until 2023. He also served as Interim Campus Rector of TUT’s Pretoria Campus from 2018 to 2020.
“With extensive years of academic leadership experience, Prof Ngobeni has the experience required to guide the Qwaqwa Campus towards the university’s Vision 130. The campus is already recognised as a leader in some of its unique research fields, and Prof Ngobeni’s strong research background will be valuable in this regard,” says Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS.
Prof Ngobeni is a member of several professional bodies in his field of expertise, including MatTEK at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the South African Chemical Institute (SACI), the Society for Atomic Spectroscopy, and the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP). During his career, he has also secured research funding for individual projects and international partnerships. Prof Ngobeni also initiated chemistry practical sessions for local schools and participated in the Technology Station in Chemicals project, which offers a wide range of services designed to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the chemical sector.
His substantial list of publications in journals and books covers a range of chemistry-related and managerial topics. He is also a well-versed presenter at local and international conferences.
“The Qwaqwa Campus has experienced major developments in recent years; I look forward to further contributing to the growth of the campus and to support the university in achieving its Vision 130,” says Prof Ngobeni.
Academic takes Afrikaans to community
2009-09-11
 |
Ms Corlietha Swart, lecturer in Linguistics in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French at the University of the Free State, expresses her passion for Afrikaans through her involvement with various community projects like the Bloemfonteinse Skrywersvereniging, of which she is the chairperson. This project has approximately 145 members countrywide. Annually this vibrant society, which turns 40 next year, organises a national writing competition which has grown into the largest of its kind with approximately 1 054 entries this year, including those from overseas. A workshop for budding writers is also presented annually and is attended free of charge by the prize winners of the writing competition as part of their prizes. During this year’s event, the publication Inkvars 2009, which contains the winning contributions of the winners of the national writing competition, was launched. Ms Swart compiled the publication’s volume of creative contributions which also contains the adjudicators’ reports and is a handy guide for teachers of creative writing classes. Pictured at the workshop from the left, front, are: Ms Swart (Chairperson: BSV), Prof. Hans du Plessis (Presenter), Mrs Cecilia van der Linde (Vice-Chairperson: BSV). Back, from the left, are: Mr Kassie Joubert (Committee Member: BSV), Mrs Christa Jonker-Jordaan (Committee Member: BSV) and Ms Magda Janse van Rensburg (Treasurer: BSV).
Photo: Supplied |