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22 November 2024 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Stephen Collett
SARIMA - 2024
The Directorate Research Development at the university proudly participates in the SARIMA Visibility Project, aimed at enhancing its global visibility and research excellence.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has been selected to participate in a high-impact initiative managed and coordinated by the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA). The SARIMA Visibility Project, which focuses on elevating institutional prominence, aims to enhance the university’s global visibility and strengthen its capacity to secure international grants. By participating in this initiative, the UFS is positioning the Directorate for Research and Development (DRD) to benchmark against other leading Tier 1 institutions, adopting best practices in research management and innovation to fuel future growth.

Key outcomes already underway

Since joining the initiative, the university has implemented several key interventions. Most notably, the development and execution of standardised operating procedures have been introduced. These procedures ensure alignment with global standards, creating consistency across various functions within DRD. Such efforts not only improve operational efficiency, but also boost the university’s competitiveness in attracting international research collaborations and securing funding opportunities. Other platforms to promote visibility that the DRD has adopted this year include its newsletter, Research Nexus, webinars, and a presence on social media.

The SARIMA Visibility Project at the UFS is spearheaded by the DRD under the leadership of Dr Glen Taylor. As pioneers of the initiative, the DRD team is working closely with SARIMA to ensure the successful implementation of key strategies aimed at improving the research infrastructure and elevating the university’s global standing. Their leadership has been instrumental in driving efforts to meet the project's ambitious objectives. These objectives include promoting best practices in research and innovation management across the region. They aim to support the research and innovation ecosystem to drive regional social and economic development. Additionally, the project seeks to engage key stakeholders to strengthen collaboration. Another objective is to building capacity among research and innovation management practitioners through training and development initiatives.

The SARIMA project is closely aligned with the UFS’s Vision 130, a strategic roadmap designed to propel the institution into its 130th anniversary in 2034. Vision 130 seeks to elevate the university’s academic and research standing on the global stage. By enhancing international partnerships and refining research management practices, SARIMA is playing an important role in supporting the university in its goal of becoming a globally recognised research institution, in line with Vision 130.

Value added to the research environment

In the few months since its launch, the SARIMA initiative has already added significant value to the UFS Research Office. The introduction of standardised procedures has not only improved consistency across departments, but has also made the office more agile and responsive to the demands of international collaborations. Benchmarking exercises conducted as part of the project have allowed the university to identify key areas for improvement, adopting innovative solutions that further enhance the institution’s research capacity and global visibility.

The SARIMA Visibility Project marks a significant step forward for the university. It is not only a means of raising the institution’s profile, but also a platform for long-term sustainable research excellence. As the UFS continues to benefit from this initiative, it is setting the stage for a future of global recognition and academic achievement that will benefit both the institution and the broader academic community for years to come.

News Archive

KovsieSport Director named as top SA coach
2014-06-27

 

DB Prinsloo
Director of KovsieSport, DB Prinsloo, was named as South Africa’s Coach of the Year. He is currently coaching the renowned Johan Cronjé – the best SA men’s athlete for 2013, member of the SA Commonwealth team for 2014 and a former Kovsie. Last year Prinsloo was also the team coach for the South African team that competed in Moscow at the world championships.
Several of South Africa’s leading athletes are trained by Prinsloo. Apart from the loads of medals his athletes won at national championships, he trained quite a few athletes who donned the green and gold. Boy Soke and Dumisane Hlaselo are among them.

Furthermore, four of the ten leading athletes in the junior rankings of all times are current and former athletes of Prinsloo. He even trained top-class athletes such as René Kalmer and Annerie Ebersohn.

Since his high school years, Prinsloo had a great passion for athletics. He was himself an excellent athlete and used to be a former South African senior 3 000 m steeplechase champion.

Johan Cronjé’s performance on the track is a good example of Prinsloo’s talent as coach. Last year Cronjé was the only South African to win a medal at the World athletics championships in Russia, with his third place in the 1500 m. In addition, Cronje improved the South African record in the 1 500 m twice last year under Prinsloo’s guidance. Cronjé recently improved Johan Fourie’s 27-year-old South African mile record (1987: 3:50,82) to 3:50,70.

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