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17 May 2024 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Sanchay Kalicharan
EMS research symposium 2024
Pictured at the research symposium from left to right: Cornelle Scheltema-Van Wyk, Deputy Director at the Library and Information Services at UFS; Prof Lochner Marais, Professor at the Centre for Development Support at UFS; Prof Brownhilder Neneh, Vice-Dean: Research, Engagement and Internationalisation in the EMS faculty at UFS; Prof Nicolene Barkhuizen, Director of the Business School at UFS; Prof Betty Mubangizi, Professor from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal; and Prof Phillipe Burger, Dean of the EMS faculty at UFS.

The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted a transformative research career development symposium on 24 April 2024 and 3 May 2024 at the UFS Business School, on the Bloemfontein Campus. Themed “Building the Next Generation of Researchers and Academics: developing a Body of Work within a Niche Area and Publishing in Quality Journals,” the symposium provided a pivotal platform for scholarly growth and strategic planning.

In his opening address, Prof Philippe Burger, the Dean of the EMS faculty, underscored the significance of the event, stating, “We need to be scholars who can be contacted from outside and be ambitious to be known for something; this symposium would give our staff that opportunity.”

Symposium highlights

Prof Brownhilder Neneh, Vice-Dean of Research, Engagement and Internationalisation in the EMS faculty, elucidated the symposium’s objectives, highlighting its role in fostering career development, equipping lecturers with practical insights, and fostering proactive career management. Distinguished guests from institutions nationwide graced the symposium with their expertise.

The first session, tailored for the School of Accountancy, featured luminaries in the accounting field such as Prof Elmar Venter from the University of Pretoria (UP) and Professor Belinda Le Clerq from the University of South Africa (UNISA). The subsequent session catered to lecturers and senior lecturers across the faculty, featuring presentations from esteemed academics like Prof Mercy Mpinganjira from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Prof Sebastian (Ian) Rothmann from the North-West University (NWU), and Prof Betty Mubangizi from the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN). Internal speakers, including Prof Burger, Prof Lochner Marais from the Centre for Development Support (CDS) at the UFS, and Prof Nicolene Barkhuizen, Director of the Business School at the UFS, also shared insights.

Symposium value and alignment with Vision 130

Prof Neneh stressed the symposium’s alignment with Vision130. She said, ‘’Hosting this symposium demonstrates the faculty’s commitment to nurturing a research-led faculty that not only addresses local and regional problems but aligns with international standards. Prof Neneh noted that the engagement offered an invaluable opportunity for academic staff to deepen their understanding of research niche areas, the significance of publishing in high-impact journals, and the cultivation of sustainable research networks.

Throughout the symposium, presenters covered a diverse array of topics, including identifying and refining niche research areas, best practices for conducting high-impact research, overcoming publishing challenges, and strategies for enhancing visibility and citation impact.  

News Archive

Vice-Chancellor to receive prestigious lifetime achievement award in the United States
2013-05-23

23 May 2013

 - Acceptance Speech

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to announce that yet another major international award will be bestowed on the Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof Jonathan Jansen.

On 3 June 2013 the Education Africa Lifetime Achievement Award for Africa will be added to the multiple international and local achievements and awards Prof Jansen has received over the past months.

He will receive the award at a gala dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City, United States. The glamorous event is hosted in collaboration between Education Africa and Brand South Africa. Prof Jansen will join an illustrious list of recipients, including Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Richard Branson and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

“I am deeply humbled by this award which I dedicate to the great teachers of our country, who under difficult conditions make our schools work for children of the poor; they are the real heroes of education," says Prof Jansen.

The Education Africa Lifetime Achievement Award for Africa is a highly regarded recognition on the world stage, awarded to individuals who focus the attention of the global community on the obstacles some of the poorest African nations face.

“He is a pioneering South African educator who is successfully transforming what was once a bastion of apartheid-era segregation and ideology into one of his country’s most inclusive and dynamic institutions of higher learning,” the organisers said in a statement.

As an extra honour to the UFS, one of its Council Members will also receive an award together with Prof Jansen at the ceremony in New York City next month. Ndaba Ntsele, also the Executive Chairman of Pamodzi Gold Limited and President of the South African Black Business Council, will receive the Education Africa Allegiance Award. This award is given to persons for their ‘steadfast support of the organisation [Education Africa] over many years.”

Prof Jansen’s other recent international awards and honours include the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and Tolerance from the University of California in the US and membership of the Laureate Chapter of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honour Society in Education.

For more information on these as well as the other awards Prof Jansen has recently received, click here.

 

 

 

 

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