Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

DRD team engages with global experts at 2024 SARIMA conference in Mozambique

26 November 2024 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

SARIMA presentations 2024 — The UFS DRD team that attended and presented at the 2024 SARIMA conference in Maputo, Mozambique.

The Directorate Research Development (DRD) team from the University of the Free State (UFS) joined research management professionals from across the globe at the 2024 Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) Conference held in September this year. This year's conference, hosted for the first time in Mozambique, focused on the theme, It Takes a Village to Raise a Child, highlighting the collective effort needed in research and innovation.

The UFS delegation participated in workshops on navigating change, unlocking research impact potential, tools and techniques for research and innovation project management, reviewing research-related contracts, and assessing associated risks. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also led a training session, while other workshops explored strengthening global research partnerships and advancing competencies in research management.

Opportunity to share and learn about best practices

Boemo Segoje, Officer for RIMS, Ethics and Creative Outputs, reflected on the conference’s collaborative atmosphere, noting the opportunity to share and learn about best practices. Segoje, alongside Maricel van Rooyen, Senior Officer: Project Manager, RIMS and Ethics, presented a poster titled, Empower the Village with an Effective Research Management System, showcasing the university’s InfoEd Research Information Management System (RIMS). “Our audience was particularly impressed with how RIMS consolidates various research functions into one platform,” said Segoje.

Another UFS poster by Mpho Mashamba, Officer: RIMS Development and Maintenance, and Ethics and Katleho Nyaile from the Centre for Graduate Support (CGS) focused on Breaking Down Silos: Enhancing Interdepartmental Communication in Research Administration. They highlighted the need for collaboration within the university, emphasising how interdepartmental communication enhances research outcomes. “We referred to the importance of collaborating with other units, keeping a line of communication open, as well as engaging various stakeholders. This is especially important for a team like ours whose work impacts every faculty member,” said Mashamba.

Mandy Jampies, Senior Officer Postdoctoral Fellows presented on It Takes a Village: Fostering Collaborative Networks for Postdoctoral Fellow Management. This talk focused on building a ‘village’ for postdoctoral fellows by streamlining visa processes and establishing partnerships with other institutions, such as the University of Johannesburg. "The audience showed great interest in our initiatives, particularly the visa partnership with the Department of Home Affairs," Jampies remarked.

Jampies’s commitment to supporting postdoctoral fellows extended beyond her presentation. In addition to discussing ways to build a supportive ‘village’ through streamlined visa processes and collaborative partnerships, she also played a role in the science communication pre-conference workshop. Reflecting on this workshop, Jampies noted it as a standout moment. “Boemo Segoje and I had the chance to present on the university’s initiatives to boost research visibility through newsletters, social media and webinars,” she shared.

Sugan Moodley, Director of Research Development Finance, remarked that it was interesting to see the Research Management progression made by universities and to compare similarities, differences, strengths and weaknesses between the UFS and other universities.

AI, here to stay

Mashamba found inspiration in a session by the University of Ghana, where he drew parallels between Ghana’s research fund and the UFS Central Research Fund. “Learning from their experience will help enhance our processes here at the university,” he shared. A big fan of lifelong learning, he saw the conference as a great opportunity to pick up new ideas. He said, "I really made the most of every moment. For me, a few key things stood out. First off, having clear policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) is important for making things run smoothly and getting more done.”

He continued, “As for AI, it’s definitely here to stay. I’m excited about the potential AI has to help streamline our work. Once it’s ready to be used effectively in the workplace, I’d love to bring it into our systems and even use it to improve what we’re already doing." Additionally, Dr Glen Taylor, the Director of Research Development at the UFS, expressed similar enthusiasm for the AI presentation, finding it an interesting insight into the future of research processes.

For Segoje, the conference also highlighted the importance of leadership in research management, referring to a session by the University of Pretoria on Ubuntu leadership. “The emphasis on Ubuntu aligns with the UFS’s values, emphasising the importance of sharing knowledge and empowering others,” she said.

Reflecting on the conference, Jampies concluded, “SARIMA 2024 was one of the best conferences I have attended, providing a wealth of practical knowledge that I can apply to improve my work portfolio.”

News Archive

UFS on the right track with transformation - Fulbright scholars

2010-08-27

Pictured from the left, are: Dr Wilmore-Schaeffer, Rev. Dr Streets and Ms Leah Naidoo (Senior Administrator of the Institute).
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe

“I think the university is not only on the right track but can really become a model for how to negotiate certain difficult processes, such as transformation, within a short period of time. I think it can become a model, not just for other universities, but also for the world.”

This was said by Dr Rozetta Wilmore-Schaeffer, who together with Rev. Dr Frederick J. Streets, recently worked with the International Institute for Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice at the University of the Free State (UFS) as Fulbright specialists. They helped the institute come up with ideas in terms of making the changes that are necessary for the transformation of the university.

“There is a great deal that has already been done despite the sense of urgency and impatience, and I think there is a great deal more to be done,” said Dr Wilmore-Schaeffer.

“I think this sense of urgency comes from those who are involved in the process of looking at the destination, the place that they want to be at, and feeling that they are very far from it.”

During their visit here the two had numerous conversations with both staff members and students.

“I have been most impressed by the students who I think are ready to make changes in many different ways – I am talking about students of all racial groups and gender. The fact that they are referring to transformation as ‘their struggle’ shows that they are prepared to make changes,” said Dr Wilmore-Schaeffer.
She, however, cautioned that there were those who were still against transformation taking place at the university.

“I think there is still some resistance from some quarters on both sides of the fence and I would expect that at this point in time. I think what is really hopeful is that there are so many students who are ready to make the changes, who are making the changes, who are struggling with issues around making the changes; and I think that is really the hope for the university and the hope for the future,” she said.

“The resistance is complex,” added Rev. Dr Streets. “It is around a fear for the future, the loss of identity on the part of both black and white students, and the desire for cultural continuity amongst white students as well as amongst a variety of ethnic black students.

“The resistance is about learning that you are not the only kid on the block anymore and how you then overcome the feeling of realising that you are not the dominant person anymore and that your culture is not the dominant culture anymore.”

They have given a preliminary report of their findings to the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, which will be followed by a more detailed report later on.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept