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Trailblazing win: UFS wins its first-ever Andrew Murray Prize

31 January 2024 | Story EDZANI NEPHALELA | Photo ANJA AUCAMP

In a historic triumph that reverberates over four decades since its inception, the UFS has clinched the coveted Andrew Murray Prize – now renamed the Andrew Murray-Desmond Tutu Prize – for the first time. Standing shoulder to shoulder with institutions such as the University of Pretoria (UP) and Stellenbosch University (SU), this achievement marks a significant milestone in the UFS’ journey.

At the heart of this accomplishment lies the profound contribution of Dr Martin Laubscher, distinguished Senior Lecturer specialising in Practical and Missional Theology in the Faculty of Theology and Religion. Dr Laubscher’s dedication and scholarly prowess culminated in the groundbreaking work titled Publieke teologie as profetiese teologie? (Public theology as prophetic theology), a revised edition of his doctoral thesis, which was originally crafted at Stellenbosch University in 2020, with a focus on the eminent Karl Barth.

Dr Laubscher received the Andrew Murray Prize for Theological Books in Afrikaans for his research and insightful analysis. The journey started when he realised, under the guidance of his study leader, Prof Dion Forster, that his script had the potential to be published in Afrikaans. Sun Media’s interest in publishing this work in Afrikaans, led to it being the first-ever published thesis in Afrikaans. Dr Laubscher recalls, “I was grateful and excited about Sun Media’s interest. The book emerged within a year, and during a celebratory launch Prof Forster suggested I submit it for the Andrew Murray Prize.”

Earlier this year, Dr Laubscher was excited to learn that he was being shortlisted for the prestigious award. Reflecting on the significant moment, he shares, “The elation I felt upon receiving the news was unparalleled. I was not only celebrating a personal triumph, but also etching my name as the first laureate from our faculty to secure this prestigious accolade.”

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UFS graduate gets international award

2010-06-09

Dr Koenane

Dr Mojalefa Lehlohonolo Johannes Koenane, who recently received his Ph.D. at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been honoured with a Golden Key Academic Award by the Golden Key International Honour Society for his hard work in the field of Governance and Political Transformation. He was recognised for his sterling work in his Ph.D. thesis. “It is not through luck that I have achieved the award, it is by working hard and setting my priorities right,” he said.

This internationally recognised award includes a certificate of recognition, a Golden Key lapel and a substantial amount of money in scholarship. He will receive the award at a ceremony that will be held at the UFS on 15 August 2010.

Dr Koenane is currently a lecturer at the University of Zululand. The Programme Governance and Transformation is offered in the Faculty of the Humanities at the UFS.

The Golden Key International Honour Society is a body based in the United States of America (USA) that recognises individuals who excel in their studies in seven countries, namely: the USA, Canada, India, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

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