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UFS hosts IASIA 2024 Conference on Public Administration

24 July 2024 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Born2shoot

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted the esteemed International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) 2024 Conference. This notable event was organised by the UFS Department of Public Administration and Management, bringing together 280 academics, researchers, students, and practitioners to delve into the theme, Alternative Service Delivery and Sustainable Societal Responsiveness.

The relevance of this theme aligns with the Global and Africa Agendas 2030 and 2063, emphasising the need for a transformative dynamic to ensure that no one is left behind. The conference addressed the roles and challenges faced by public institutions, governments at all levels, public servants, and citizens worldwide. It highlighted the importance of managing uncertainties, challenges, and expectations in an era of complex reforms.

The conference featured a diverse and distinguished line-up of speakers, including Dr Najat Zarrouk, President of IASIA; Dr Sofiane Sahraoui, Director General of IASIA; Dr Ra’ed Benshams, President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS); Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal; and Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, former Minister of Public Service and Administration of South Africa.

Advancing excellence

IASIA is dedicated to strengthening administrative capacity worldwide, advancing excellence in public administration education and training, and fostering the dissemination of innovative scholarly research and practices in governance and administration. The key objectives of the conference are to promote the exchange of knowledge on the evolution of public administration theory and practice and to facilitate comparative studies and the development of public administration theory. In addition, it aims to encourage innovation in ideas, methods, and techniques in public administration; strengthen the dialogue between academics and practitioners; as well as to develop and consolidate a community of public administration experts open to contributions from young researchers and public officials.

Sustainable solutions

“Hosting the IASIA Conference was pivotal for addressing sustainable solutions to service delivery challenges in the public sector, both globally and within the South African context. It provided a valuable platform for international exposure and networking for the UFS Department of Public Administration and Management, the broader UFS community, the Free State Provincial Government, and the South African as well as the global public administration and management fraternity,” said Prof Liezel Lues, UFS Professor of Public Administration and Management and rapporteur of the IASIA conference.

“It also included practitioners from South African universities and various public sector stakeholders, aligning with Vision 130's goal of making a significant social impact by fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovative solutions to local and global challenges,” she added.

Exploring the future of public service

A significant focus of the conference was exploring alternative service delivery models aimed at enhancing efficiency, responsiveness, inclusiveness, collaboration, co-production, and accountability. Public institutions and governments worldwide are grappling with numerous complex challenges, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, rapid urbanisation, climate change, inequality, youth disorientation, migration, and the digital revolution. These challenges have led to a critical lack of trust in public institutions and growing dissatisfaction with government performance.

Embracing alternative service delivery

Traditional government models have often struggled to meet citizens' needs and address these multifaceted issues. The conference highlighted the emergence of alternative service delivery models, emphasising the need to open public services to other actors and stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society organisations, and community groups. This approach seeks to enhance public service delivery through collaboration and innovation, ultimately striving to build a more responsive and sustainable society.

Click to view document Please click here to scan the QR code with the IASIA app for more information about the conference.

Watch the conference highlights video

News Archive

UFS boasts with most advanced chemical research apparatus in Africa

2005-11-23

Celebrating the inauguration of the NMR were from the left Prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS), Dr Detlef Müller (Development Scientist and Manager: Africa and Asia of Bruker in Germany, the supplier of the NMR), Prof Jannie Swarts (head of the head of the Division Physical Chemistry at the UFS) and Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS). Photo: Lacea Loader

UFS boasts with most advanced chemical research apparatus in Africa

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Chemistry now boasts with some of the most advanced chemical research apparatus in Africa after the latest addition, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, was inaugurated today by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie. The NMR is used to analyse molecular structures.

Last month the Department of Chemistry celebrated the installation of the most advanced single crystal X-ray diffractometer in Africa. The diffractometer provides an indispensable technique to investigate among others the solid state of compounds for medicinal application.

“Three years ago the UFS executive management realised that, if we want to build a university of excellence, we should invest in research. We started to think strategically about chemistry and decided to bring the apparatus at the Department of Chemistry on a more competitive standard. Strategic partnerships were therefore secured with companies like Sasol,” said Prof Fourie during the inauguration ceremony.

“The installation of the NMR symbolises the ability of the UFS to turn academic areas around. I hope that this is the beginning of a decade of excellence for chemistry at the UFS,” said Prof Fourie.

”The catalogue value of the Bruker 600 MHz NMR is approximately R11 million. With such an advanced apparatus we are now able to train much more post-graduate students,“ said Prof Jannie Swarts, head of the Division Physical Chemistry at the UFS.

”The NMR is the flagship apparatus of the UFS Department of Chemistry that enables chemists to look at compounds more easily at a molecular level. Research in chemistry is critically dependent on NMR, which is a technique that can determine the composition of reactants and products in complicated chemical reactions, with direct application is most focus areas in chemistry,“ said Prof Swarts.

”Parts of the spectrometer consists of non-commercial items that were specifically designed for the UFS Department of Chemistry to allow the study of unique interactions in e.g. rhodium and platinum compounds,” said Prof Swarts.

According to Prof Swarts the NMR enables chemists to conduct investigations on the following:

To evaluate for example the complex behaviour of DNA in proteins as well as the analysis of illegal drugs sometimes used by athletes.
It provides an indispensable technique to investigate compounds for medicinal application for example in breast, prostate and related bone cancer identification and therapy, which are currently synthesised in the Department of Chemistry.
It can also be applied to the area of homogeneous catalysis where new and improved compounds for industrial application are synthesized and characterised, whereby Sasol and even the international petrochemical industry could benefit. This analytical capacity is highly rated, especially in the current climate of increased oil prices.
The NMR can detect and identify small concentrations of impurities in feed streams in the petrochemical industry, e.g. at Sasol and also the international petrochemical industry. These minute amounts of impurities can result in metal catalyst deactivation or decomposition and can cause million of rands worth in product losses.
It is indispensable for studying the complexity of samples that is non-crystalline. These materials represent the vast majority of chemical compounds such as solvents, gasoline, cooking oil, cleaning agents and colorants as examples.

According to Prof Swarts the general medical technique of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in use at larger hospitals, is based on NMR technology.

”The NMR apparatus enabled the Department of Chemistry to characterise complex molecules that were synthesised for the multi-national company, FARMOFS-PAREXEL, and to negotiate research agreements with overseas universities,” said Prof Swarts.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
22 November 2005

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