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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.”

News Archive

Health policy researcher discusses joint exploratory efforts at the UFS

2013-03-20

Prof James Bjorkman
Photo: Supplied
20 March 2013

Prof James Bjorkman, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy and Administration at the Institute of Social Studies at The Hague in the Netherlands, visited the University of the Free State (UFS) to explore the context and limits of health reforms in South Africa.

After clarifying terms and establishing the background of general public sector reforms over the past few decades, Prof Bjorkman focused on characteristics of the health sector, its basic issues, as well as constants and variable dimensions. He paid special attention to the complex interplay between access, quality and cost of health services.

Prof Bjorkman also shared experiences, based on his observations over the decades, during his lecture at the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Click here to read an extract from his book, “Health reforms in Central and Eastern Europe: Options, Obstacles, Limited outcomes,” on which his lecture was based.

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