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08 May 2024
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The Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Prof Paul Oberholster, has the pleasure of inviting you to the inaugural lecture of Prof Dirk Opperman.
Date: 21 May 2024
Time: 17:30
Venue: Equitas
Click here to RSVP before Wednesday, 15 May 2024. Alternatively, contact Christelle van Rooyen on +27 51 401 9190.
About Prof Dirk Opperman
Prof Dirk Opperman obtained his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of the Free State in 2008. This was followed by postdoctoral research on directed evolution with Prof Manfred T Reetz at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research (Germany). In 2010, he was appointed in the Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry. He subsequently established structural biology at the UFS, and his current research focus lies at the interface of evolutionary and structure-function relationships of biocatalysts, and their application in green chemistry. He is an NRF B-rated researcher with co-authored papers in Science, Nature Communications, and Angewandte Chemie.
His research has been funded by both local and international organisations, ranging from industries such as SASOL to the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF, UK). He has a long-standing collaboration with researchers at the Delft University of Technology (TUDelft, the Netherlands) and is currently part of a European Research Area Network Cofund (ERA-NET Cofund) partnership on Food Systems and Climate (FOSC) that develops biocatalysts for upcycling waste.
Dr David Malapo motivates Qwaqwa staff
2009-06-24
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| Photo: Supplied |
If you are not growing, you are dying. These were the words of Dr David Malapo, teacher, pastor, motivational speaker and businessman, who addressed staff members and students from the Qwaqwa Campus as well as members of the community. Mr Billyboy Ramahlele, Director: Diversity, accompanied Dr Malapo to the campus.
Dr Malapo informed staff that it was possible to grow if one had a vision and a passion for what one wanted to achieve, as well as the willingness to take risks. He emphasised that it was necessary to grow, otherwise one would stagnate. “To grow you need to develop skills in active listening, effective communication and productivity,” he said.
According to him, only oneself can make positive decisions towards growth in one’s own life. “When you blame other people, you give up the power to change,” he said.
He also stated that trust was an inevitable element of growth. It means that you have to avoid pre-judging, treat people with respect, share information, admit mistakes and develop a caring attitude.
Both staff and students evaluated these motivational talks as a highlight-event of the first semester on the Qwaqwa calendar.