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01 February 2024
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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.
UFS student's essay nominated for Berlin Roundtables
2010-02-22
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Ms Chrismi-Rinda Kotze
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An essay by Ms Chrismi-Rinda Kotze, a staff member and student at the University of the Free State's (UFS) Unit for Language Management, has been selected for the 12th Berlin Roundtables on “Cultural Pluralism Revisited: Religious and Linguistic Freedoms”. The focus of this theme is on religious and linguistic minority rights and the challenges of multicultural societies.
Her essay entitled The Linguistic Landscape as Mechanism in Multicultural Societies, focuses on the importance of the written language in the public space as a mechanism with which to regulate and develop a multicultural society as it is a means of access to participation in society.
The Berlin Roundtables on Transnationality are international conferences that consist of workshops and lecture series for 30 to 65 participants selected by an international jury based on essay competitions. It provides a forum for international young academics and journalists to discuss the political and social challenges facing a global civil society.
At the end of each Roundtable, the Irmgard Coninx Foundation will award up to three participants a three-month research grant at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) and the Humboldt University in Berlin.
They are jointly organised by the Irmgard Coninx Foundation, WZB and the Humboldt University Berlin.
The Roundtables will take place from 7–11 April 2010 in Berlin.