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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.
Prof Heidi Hudson appointed to international Committee on the Status of Women
2015-11-24
 Prof Heidi Hudson is looking forward to advancing women scholars globally
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Prof Heidi Hudson, director of the Centre for Africa Studies at the University of the Free State, was recently appointed by the President of the International Studies Association (ISA) to serve on the Committee on the Status of Women from March 2016 to April 2018.
Representing over 100 countries, ISA has more than 6 500 members in North America and internationally, and is the most respected and widely-known scholarly association in the field of International Studies.
She anticipates that her role on the committee will complement her research interests in feminist security theory and practice in Africa. “I am looking forward to playing a part in the advancement of southern scholars, and the promotion of their voice in global academe.”
Prior to Professor Hudson’s appointment, she served as a member of the executive of the Feminist Theory and Gender Studies (FTGS) Section of ISA.
Representing women of the world in academia
The Committee on the Status of Women has the task of reviewing the status of women in the profession, and making recommendations to the president and the Governing Council of ISA on ways of tracking and increasing the status and visibility of women in the profession.
“Some of the goals of the committee for the 2014 to 2016 period include reaching out to women scholars in the global south; creating an ISA networking website for women scholars; and surveying perceptions of the international relations climate and its needs,” said Prof Hudson. It is also responsible for “tracking gender balance within ISA and its journals, and supporting ISA regions in fulfilling the mission of the Committee on the Status of Women,” she added.
Connecting scholars globally since 1959
The ISA has been the premier organisation for connecting scholars and practitioners in fields of international studies, and promoting research and education. ISA cooperates with 57 international studies organisations in more than 30 countries, is a member of the International Social Science Council, and enjoys non-governmental consultative status at the United Nations.
Prof Hudson’s research interests concentrate on discursive and material gender deficits of liberal peacebuilding in the post colony, amongst other subjects. She is also co-editor of International Feminist Journal of Politics.