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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.
Academic appointed Editor-in-Chief of leading accredited History journal in South Africa
2017-02-15
Dr Jared McDonald, newly-appointed Editor-in-Chief
of Historia.
Photo: Thabo Kessah
The research profile of the Qwaqwa Campus has recently received a boost with the appointment of Dr Jared McDonald as the Editor-in-Chief of Historia, one of the leading accredited History journals in South Africa. It publishes articles in May and November on aspects of history and historiography of the Southern African region and is published by the Historical Association of South Africa (HASA).
Dr McDonald said it was an honour for him to be appointed in such a position, as it would enable him to further encourage critical engagement of historians. “I have served as the journal’s Review Editor for the past four years, so I am incredibly grateful for this appointment which will further enable historians to engage with one another as well as with scholars from other disciplines interested in grappling with the past,” he said.
Delivery of quality research to be strengthened
“My role will be to deepen the legacy of presenting historical themes to the broader public and the academic community, as well as enabling the delivery of quality research, while also strengthening Historia’s profile as a journal of choice for historians and scholars from related disciplines. In fact, having the editorship of such a journal based on the Qwaqwa Campus, is a welcome accolade for the campus,” he added.
Dr McDonald is Subject Head in the Department of History.