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21 June 2024 | Story Precious Shamase | Photo Suplied
Prof Jesse Lutabingwa
Prof Jesse Lutabingwa, the visiting scholar who will be facilitating grant-writing workshops to support third-stream aspirations.

The University of the Free State (UFS) welcomes Prof Jesse Lutabingwa, a visiting Fellow from the Appalachian State University (AppState) in the United States. Prof Lutabingwa arrives under the prestigious Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Programme (CADFP), bringing a wealth of experience to support the university's ‘third-income aspirations.’

Prof Lutabingwa’s long-standing connection with the UFS began in 2009 when he played a pivotal role in establishing a collaborative partnership between the two institutions. At the time, he was serving as Associate Vice-Chancellor for International Education and Development at AppState. Now, he returns not as an administrator, but as a faculty member eager to share his expertise and deepen this valuable connection.

"I have always wanted to participate in CADFP to give back to the African continent," Prof Lutabingwa explains. "This fellowship allows me to engage with the UFS community on different issues and contribute to the professional and individual growth of faculty, staff, and students, ultimately serving our communities better."

Empowering through grant writing

A key aspect of Prof Lutabingwa’s fellowship is a series of grant-writing workshops designed to empower UFS faculty, researchers, and postgraduate students, particularly on the Qwaqwa Campus.

"Many find the idea of proposing research grants daunting," Prof Lutabingwa says. "My goal is to elucidate the process. With more than 33 years of experience and more than 65% success rate, I am here to share the knowledge I have gained as a grant writer and reviewer."

These workshops will equip participants with the skills and strategies needed to craft compelling proposals, significantly increasing their chances of securing funding. Access to grants is crucial, Prof Lutabingwa emphasises, as it allows researchers to pursue innovative work that benefits society while offering valuable training opportunities for students.

Collaboration for research impact

Prof Lutabingwa’s contributions extend beyond workshops. He will collaborate with Dr Grey Magaiza, Director of the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies, and other faculty members on co-authoring two research articles. This collaboration aims to strengthen the UFS' research profile and contribute to a more impactful research landscape.

Dr Magaiza highlights the significance of Prof Lutabingwa’s visit: "Jesse is at the heart of the UFS-AppState partnership. Now, as a Carnegie Africa Diaspora fellow, he can engage with us in a new way, pouring his expertise back into this space. His grant-writing workshops and collaborative research efforts will be instrumental in achieving our third-stream aspirations."

Excited about the future

The fellow’s enthusiasm for this fellowship is noticeable when he speaks and engages with colleagues on campus. "Words cannot express my excitement," he shares. "I am grateful for this opportunity to collaborate, engage in research, and connect with various individuals on campus."

The UFS community warmly welcomes Prof Lutabingwa and anticipates a fruitful fellowship that will empower faculty, strengthen research, and propel the UFS – particularly the Qwaqwa Campus – towards achieving its third-income aspirations.

News Archive

Nutrition congress to be held at the UFS
2012-09-21

About 1 000 experts, researchers, nutritionists and policy makers in nutrition and feeding from all over Africa and some abroad will gather at the University of the Free State for the Nutrition Congress Africa 2012.

This congress will take place at the Bloemfontein Campus from 1 to 4 October 2012 where various national and international experts will deliver presentations on the latest research and developments on nutrition and dietetics in Africa.

The Nutrition Congress Africa 2012 is a joint scientific meeting of the 24th congress of the Nutrition Society of South Africa, the 12th congress of the Association for Dietetics in South Africa and the 5th African Nutrition Epidemiology Congress .

The theme for the congress is “Transforming the Nutrition Landscape in Africa” and it motivates nutrition experts and scientists to take action and apply knowledge and skills to improve nutrition in Africa.

Plenary, as well as five parallel sessions will be presented over four days,  covering  topics which include amongst others addressing poverty and food insecurity, food regulatory and labelling issues, the food industry, HIV and nutrition, the sports nutrition industry, nutritional management of renal and GI-related diseases, food security, maternal and infant nutrition.

“We believe that working together as nutrition experts will strengthen professional networks and allow us to share expertise and exchange experiences to the benefit of all,” says Dr Ronette Lategan, chairperson of the Nutrition 2012 congress and lecturer at the UFS’ Department of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Nutrition is a fast developing science and a wide spectrum of topics with the latest research and developments will be included in the programme.

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